Serendipity's Partner
by thejennakayshow
Summary: Jolene always believed she was born in the wrong era. What she doesn't know is she's just what Steve Rogers needs. This story is told from Jolene's POV. Rated M for eventual smut. Short Captain America/Steve Rogers ficlet.
1. Chapter 1

Seredipity's Partner

 **Cities may be real but the places are all fictional. I do not own the characters, except our lovely Jolene. This is my first attempt at writing a Cap Story so don't judge me too much. Hope anyone who reads this enjoys it. It'll be a short ficlet unless it grows into it's own monster. I've had this stuck in my head and I can't write for my other stories without getting this out. It's totally ruled my brain...So enjoy! :)**

 **P.S. I just want to send a shout out to the wonderful Rckyfrk for being a beta for this! Thanks Darlin'!**

 _Someone To Watch Over Me - Ella Fitzgerald_

Another day of catching side eyes from folks walking along the sidewalk with me. I'd grown used to it over the years. I've always been the odd woman out in school, and much the same after school. It wasn't until I had found the place I was working now that I had finally found somewhere that I fit right in. I had started at The Best Of Days while I was in college, something to pay the bills and gave me mornings off for classes. At first I was a waitress, and was quickly trained to be a bartender, but now I was the singer for the house band. Of course, I could still sling drinks with the best of them when there was a different guest band that came in for a few nights, but my favorite place was most definitely on the stage. It was a damn shame that I had missed the prime time for my talent. The bar was a jazz styled place that looked like it came straight out of the older days.

"Hey Jolene!" Caroline the bartender shouted as I walked in the door. It was late afternoon but the bar would be opening soon, which meant I was running a little late.

"Hey Caroline!" I waved back at her.

"Lookin' good today, girl!" Caroline was always full of compliments and encouragement. I waved my hand dismissively back at her as I let out a chuckle and headed for the back. I fixed my brown hair that had flown loose on the walk to work, making sure my victory rolls were perfect before lining my eyes in black and painting my lips with my Ruby Woo MAC lipstick. I fixed my white cotton sweater, making sure it was tight and securely tucked into my red A-line, tea length skirt. After another once over in the mirror, I gave myself a smile.

I had been teased about this most of my life, about being different, but different was good. I realized that being true to myself was what mattered, and what others thought was none of my business. I loved the older eras. I spent most of my childhood playing in my mother's clothes from high school and quickly realized that the 80s were not my style after I got a little older. Throughout high school, I spent many years trying to find what my style was exactly. I found myself feeling most like myself when I had found a vintage shop down the street from my dorm, full of 40s and 50s clothing. I was often bullied for being "out of style" for the rest of my years there at that school.

I met Caroline in college and we instantly clicked as friends. We bonded over our love of the older styles and classic movies, and soon after that we met Sheri, the owner of The Best Of Days. That was just about seven years ago, when the bar hadn't been doing well, but now...now it was one of the best around. We had the normal tourists that would come from around the world to time travel, but there were also the locals that kept us going year round The weekends were always the busiest, which was why I was here early tonight. The band played their instrumental jazz and big band music for a while as I helped Caroline finish stocking the bar for the night and chatting with a few of the patrons. When eight o'clock rolled around, I was walking on the stage for my first set.

"Well hello, Dolly," a gentleman from the crowd yelled and I gave him a smile. I went on to sing my normal hour set before taking a break and heading up to the bar to get a drink. "Name's Don. What's your name sweet thing?" It was the same gentleman that had hollered at me earlier, though now I wasn't sure I could call him a gentleman anymore. The man was fair from gentle as he grabbed my waist and tugged me towards him.

"The name is Jolene, and I'd appreciate it if you'd release me," I said as I pushed at his chest.

"Awww, no need to go working up a sweat just yet sweetheart. We ain't even made it back to my pad yet," he slurred in my ear.

I pulled my torso back as far as I could from within his grip, swinging back and bringing my palm flush against his cheek hard enough to make my hand sting. "I said to let me go!" I shouted at him as I pushed against his chest some more.

"She said to let her go." A voice came from over my shoulder, smooth, deep, and authoritative. Don looked over my shoulder at the gentleman that had spoken up. "I suggest you do as she says if you aren't looking for a fight," the voice spoke again from behind me. Don loosened his grip on my waist enough for me to push myself completely from his grasp.

I backed up into the body of the man behind me accidently - a big and hard body, I noted. I turned around, seeing lips in close proximity and took a few steps back to look at the man who was speaking just moments before. He was handsome...no...gorgeous. His blonde hair was poking out at odd angles, looking messy due to the wind outside. His eyes were bright blue and I was locked in solid right there. I felt like I couldn't move from the spot for the moment. Feeling a bit off kilter, I took a step back, but the perfect specimen of a man in front of me grabbed my arm quickly, stopping me from backing into Don's creepy self again.

"You alright, Miss?" he asked, and that's when I got to his lips. Those lips, the bottom one so full and tempting to be bitten. I shook my head slightly trying to get a grip on myself, but when my eyes hit his torso, I felt even more lightheaded. He was dressed in jeans that were sitting at his correct waistline, a white t-shirt that looked like it may have been painted on under that dark blue jacket that did nothing to hide his impressive chest, abs, and sheer size.

"Umm, yeah. S-Sorry. Would you like something to drink?" I said, taking a step to the side so I could walk around him to the other side of the bar, my safe place. I had to create distance; the urge to reach out and run my hand over his abdomen was making me feel uncomfortable and extremely turned on, but maybe that was the reason I was uncomfortable. I rounded the bar, pulling two shot glasses and a glass of water for myself. "I could use a shot, how about you?" I said as I turned around from retrieving the whiskey off the shelf. I glanced at him just briefly, finding a small smirk playing at one of the corners of his perfectly kissable mouth.

I shook my head again, trying to gather myself as I poured us each a shot. "This one's on me." I said as I slid the glass to him and tipped mine back, letting the liquor slide down my throat and burn those fluttering feelings in my stomach. I gave him a quick nod while I filled my cup with water and then headed towards the back to the stage to figure out the next set list. I glanced at him every so often as I sang and saw him sitting there alone, looking at the door sporadically like he was waiting for someone to come in.

"Did you get stood up, Ace?" I asked as I walked up behind him. I sat another set of whiskey shots down on the table where he was still sitting alone.

"Guess so," he chuckled.

"You new in town?" I sat down in the chair across from him, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms as I watched his demeanor. He looked so calm and well controlled, but the thing that bugged me most was this lost look in his eyes when he looked around the room.

"Not exactly," his deep voice replied. "First time here though. My buddy Sam suggested the place, said I'd love it." His blue eyes looked around the room again, a look of longing flickering in them.

"This place feels like a time capsule, my own personal heaven," I said leaning forward, grabbing my shot glass off the table and downing it quickly. "Never fit in anywhere until I found this place. Everyone says I was born in the wrong era." I scoffed, "I always wondered what it was like to live back then. It seems so much better than it is now. I'm sure it wasn't all glamorous with the wars and all." I rambled on, noticing the handsome blue eyed model across from me tensing slightly before relaxing again. "I always felt weird..."

"You're perfect," he interrupted me before he looked down, hiding his face a bit. I could tell he was laughing from the slight shake of his shoulders. I grabbed his shot, letting the cool liquid make its way down my throat again.

"What's so funny, Chuckles?" I asked but he didn't reply. "Go ahead, laugh it up. I'm used to being the butt of the joke." I snarled before standing up to head back to the stage.

"I'm not laughing at you," he said, standing up quickly. "I was just thinking about how right Sam was." I looked at him unamused, one eyebrow raised. "And I can't tell him how right he was because his ego is already too big to get through a normal doorway," he added before flashing a crooked smile that I was sure could cure any shitty day. "It's Steve by the way, not Chuckles." he added while extending his hand out to me.

"Jolene." I replied, shaking his hand for a moment before walking back up on stage.

 _There's a somebody I'm longin' to see  
I hope that he turns out to be  
Someone who'll watch over me_

 _I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood  
I know I could always be good  
To one who'll watch over me_

 _Although he may not be the man some  
Girls think of as handsome,  
To my heart he carries the key_

 _Won't you tell him please to put on some speed  
Follow my lead, oh, how I need  
Someone to watch over me_

 _Won't you tell him please to put on some speed  
Follow my lead, oh, how I need  
Someone to watch over me_

 _Someone to watch over me_

I finished the last song of the night. Steve was still sitting alone at his table but was smiling slightly when I walked off of the stage. "Enjoying yourself?" I asked as I sat down across from him. He nodded his head, giving me a grin. "Looks like your date never showed," I noticed.

"Probably better this way anyways," he said after dropping his head a little and looking up at me through those heavily lashed eyes.

"Her loss," I shrugged. Caroline announced last call for the bar and I excused myself to help her with the last rush of the night. Don was still there sitting at the bar.

"Hey Doll, sorry we got off on the wrong foot. I know a place around the corner, open at all hours. How about you and I go get a coffee after you get off work." Don said as I handed him his last drink of the night.

"How about we don't?" I said in a smartass tone.

"Oh, come on, give ole Don a chance. Or are you planning on riding off with Prince Charming over there?" he said gesturing with a tilt of his head over to Steve who was watching the whole interaction.

"If I know anything, it's that Princes don't exist in my world, but apparently, creeps do, Don," I said drawing his name out so he'd get the point.

"Alright, alright, I get it. You have a good night, Doll." Don said, throwing his hands up and downing his drink before getting up and walking out.

"Finally," I said under my breath. I finished up helping Caroline, letting her leave early to get home. I walked to the back, grabbing my purse and heading out into the bar to lock up and head home myself.

"You all alone now, sweet thing?" Don's voice boomed from behind me. I rolled my eyes and turned around to face the obviously wasted man.

"Don, you need to go home. Let me call you a taxi," I replied, grabbing my phone from my purse and searching for the taxi company I used most.

"Why don't you come with me for the time of your life?" he grabbed my arm tightly.

"Get your hand off of me Don. You need to take a hint and leave before I call the cops instead of a cab," I threatened, but only received a tighter grip on my arm. "Ow!" I winced. The next thing I realized Don was falling to the floor after receiving a slug to the jaw.

"You alright, Jolene?" Steve's voice asked.

"Y-yeah. I-I thought you left," I said, spinning around to face him.

"Had a bad feeling about him," he jutted his chin towards Don, who was scurrying himself off the sidewalk and taking off in a stumbling run.

"Well, thank you," I said, giving him a smile when he looked back at me.

"Could I accompany you home?" he asked, giving me a grin which fell as soon as he saw the hesitation in my face. "I'm not expecting anything at all. All I'm asking for is peace of mind knowing you made it home safely," he added. I still hesitated, unsure why he was being so nice to me. I wasn't quite used to such a nice guy, not to mention a devastatingly good looking nice guy. Most men only did something when they wanted something in return, although I hadn't quite figured out the angle that Steve was playing. I gave him a nod after deciding that I didn't mind trying to figure it out, figure him out.

"I'm not sure if you are just a nice guy, or if you are super possessive and are trying to lay claim to me," I said as we walked.

"Well, you'd have to assume I liked you more than a friend first," he said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans, making his shoulders and chest seem even broader, if that was even possible.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed with a mock flinch. "Good guy it is," I laughed.

"I didn't...I didn't mean it to come out like that. Sorry. Old habits die hard, I guess," he said, shaking his head to himself in embarrassment.

"What's that supposed to mean?" trying to get some clarification to the obvious nerves he was exuding.

"An old friend always told me I didn't know a thing about women or how to talk to them. Seems nothing's changed." He looked around at the dark city around us before inhaling deeply.

"So what happened to your date?" I asked, trying to fill the silence.

"Not sure. Natasha said the girl would meet me there. Pretty sure if Natasha picked her out, she wasn't my type anyhow," Steve mused.

"Well, I'm thankful she didn't show. Wouldn't have had you around to save me twice tonight," I said softly and we both looked at one another, a smile on both our faces and eyes locked tight onto the others. It was one of those cliché moments from the movies, feeling as though the world had fallen away for a while. "So obviously you know I sing and bartend, but what do you do for a living?"

Steve looked away, looking off into the distance in front of us for a moment before answering, "Protect and serve."

"So a cop," I said as we rounded the final corner to my street.

"Something like that," he chuckled.

"Well this is my stop," I said, stopping at the stairs to my apartment building. "Thank you for walking me home."

"My pleasure," he said looking up at me as I stepped up onto the stairs.

"Have a good night, Officer Steve," I joked.

"Captain," he replied with a crooked grin.

"Oh, excuse me," I said with slight sarcasm, "Captain Steve."

"Jolene." He nodded his head before taking a step away and walking away into the night.

I spent that night thinking of the mysterious Captain Steve and wondered if luck was on my side this time. Had I met a man that could truly be one of the good guys this time?


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright. So here is Part 2. I just wanted to explain something before we get into this one. So when I think of Steve dating, I really feel he wants to be wanted for that guy he is inside, not the guy who saves the world. For instance, his best girl, Peggy, knew him before he became Captain America, grew attached to him as a person, not a superhero. I think he'd still look for that in someone, even though the little guy is gone physically, he's still in there and I think he'd want someone that liked that part about him more than the superhero he is to everyone else. Anyways, I hope you enjoy part 2, Steve's taking a trip in uncharted territory. Also, huge thank you to the best beta, rckyfrk. You are awesome, Love.**

 _Embraceable You - Frank Sinatra_

"So what happened with that hunk of a man last week?" Caroline asked as I helped her stock the bar before the night started. I rolled my eyes as I continued my job, ignoring her snooping. "Oh come on Jolene, you know I'm having to live vicariously through you now," she added as she held up her engagement-ring-clad hand out for me to see.

"Are you serious Caroline?" I squeaked out. She nodded vigorously with the brightest smile I had ever seen on her face. "It's about time! Congrats, I'm so happy for you. Tell Gibson I said congrats too." I gave her a hug before heading back to the backstage area again. I was glad to get away from Caroline's game of twenty questions about Steve.

Truth was, I hadn't seen him again since that night, well not of the physical sort. I wondered if I would ever see him again after he just walked away that night a week ago. So much about him seemed too good to be true, so if I never saw him again, I would just know I was right...too good to be true. He was well above my level and probably preferred the women of magazines. Who the hell was I kidding?

Most definitely too good to be true, but that didn't stop him from infiltrating my dreams. Damn him.

I fixed my upright pin curls, making sure my hair looked perfect. It was the first time I had worn my hair like this and would probably be my last; my hair was too long and took way too much time to do into this hairstyle. I smoothed my high-waisted dark green pencil skirt and put on the green jacket and brown belt over my white tank top to finish off the Cadet outfit I had snagged from the vintage store earlier his week. I looked around as I walked onto stage for the first set of the night.

Steve wasn't there, which didn't surprise me too much, although the disappointment was still there. It wasn't until the third set of the night that I had spotted him. Sitting at the bar, turned towards me, his hair parted and combed to the sides unlike the last time I had seen him. He was wearing a plaid button down under his brown leather jacket and looking every bit dapper. He gave me a grin with a nod when our eyes locked and I quickly returned it as the song ended. I announced that I would be back in thirty minutes, after my break, to sing the last set of the night and Steve turned around in his seat to face the bar again.

"Captain." I sat down in the stool next to him after getting myself a drink.

"Jolene," he glanced at me with a small smile, sliding a shot glass over to me.

"Are you trying to get me drunk, Steve?" I chuckled, which also earned a snort from him.

"Can't buy a pretty lady a drink anymore?" he asked as he turned in his chair slightly to angle himself towards me. I watched as he looked over me slowly, making me squirm a bit in my chair under his studying gaze.

"Thank you," I replied, grabbing the glass and taking the shot of what I was sure to be whiskey. His eyes were on mine when I looked back to him after finishing the shot, a distant look in his eyes for the briefest of moments. "What?"

"Nothing, just remind me of an old friend," he answered before turning himself towards the bar again.

"A special friend?" I asked turning in my chair to face him and take in his demeanor.

"Very." The slight heartbreak in his eyes made my chest ache.

"What happened?" I crossed my legs, settling in for a story and the chance to figure out this mysterious man a little more.

"We just ran out of time." He brought his longneck to his lips taking a sip of it before setting it back on the bar and looking over at me.

"I'm sorry to hear that." I laid a hand on his forearm and Steve closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and then nodding at me slightly before turning to look forward. "How about a dance?" I asked as a slow tune began from the band.

"I don't know how to dance," he replied before taking another drink of his beer.

"Well come on, I happen to be a great teacher." I tightened my grip on his forearm slightly giving him a tight lipped smile.

He was the hesitant one this time, looking forward for a moment longer before looking over at me and returning the same smile. "It might be time to learn." He turned in his chair, standing up and taking a step out from between the chairs. He held his hand out to me to help me down from my own stool and then offered his arm as we walked out to the floor. Everything about his demeanor and how he carried himself screamed old time gentleman, and I didn't feel like the only person who felt out of their era anymore. As we approached the dance floor I pulled my arm from his, stopping in the middle of the wooden dance floor.

"One hand on the small of my back," I instructed him. He softly placed his hand on my back as I gripped his other hand in mine and placed my other hand on his rock hard bicep. "Tighter hold." He gave me an unsure look before pressing harder on my back pushing me against him firmly. I led for one a few moments, rocking us back and forth to the beat of the song but once Steve got the hang of it his strength took over, leading us in a slow dance as the song played on. "See, it isn't that bad." I turned my head looking up at him. He turned looking at me giving me one of those knee-weakening crooked smiles. I turned my head, resting my temple at his cheek and moving my hand from his arm to the nape of his neck as we continued our dance.

"If I asked you to dinner would you say yes?" I could hear the nervousness in his voice as he whispered it in my ear as we swayed. His breath fanned over my ear and down my neck, sending a shockwave of chills down my spine that caused me to shiver slightly. He pulled back to look at me with a look of rejection on his face, eyebrows raised and furrowed in worry and his eyes holding a sad puppy dog look about them.

"I'd say I'd love to," I replied, letting a smile creep slowly across my face as I watched the relief wash over his face. He gave me a smile before pushing on my lower back a little to urge me against him again as we finished out our dance. "I've got another set to sing." I took a step back after he dropped his hand from my back. Steve held out his hand gesturing to the stage, his other hand placed behind his back.

"Thanks for the dance," he said, giving me a smile. I gave him a shy smirk before turning to walk away. His gaze was attached to me for the whole last set although I could see even from this distance that his mind was wandering to a different place randomly throughout the set. Time seemed to drag on during that last set, feeling overly giddy to get back to Steve who was sitting there looking like a dream. The last song of the night finally came and as I sang the song, the lyrics took on a new meaning for me for the first time.

 _Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you  
Embrace me, you irreplaceable you_

Just one look at you  
My heart grows tipsy in me  
You and you alone  
Bring out the gypsy in me

I love all the many charms about you  
Above all, I want my arms about you

Don't be a naughty baby  
Come to mama, come to mama do  
My sweet embraceable you

I walked off the stage, heading to the bar to help Caroline with the last leg of the night. Steve was still sitting at the bar nursing his beer as closing time was called out.

"Could I walk you home again tonight?" Steve asked as he stood up from his stool.

"If you don't mind waiting around," I replied as I wiped down the counter.

"I won't be waiting 70 years will I?" Steve smiled, one that reached his eyes and made them sparkle a bit, like he had some kind of inside joke I wasn't aware of. "I'll be outside whenever you're ready." I gave him a smile before he walked out of the door.

"Walking you home again, huh?" Caroline snooped.

"Well, he actually asked me out tonight." I stopped scrubbing at the bar looking up at her to catch her reaction.

"Did you say yes? Please tell me you said yes," she said after she finished counting her till.

"I did," I replied as I finished cleaning the bar top.

"Well then, I would assume you guys have something to talk about. Why don't you go ahead and leave, I've got this," Caroline said as she looked around the bar. "I've only got to drop the till and wipe down the tables and I'll be out of here anyways. Have fun," she said, grabbing the rag out of my hand.

"Goodnight, Caroline!" I shouted back to her as I walked towards the door.

"I better hear all about it tomorrow!" she shouted back at me as I walked out of the door.

"Steve?" I whispered as I stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"On your left," he chuckled, pushing himself off of the wall and putting his arm out for me to take. After looping my arm through his he led me off in the direction of my apartment. We walked in silence for a while and as if on cue, we both began speaking at the same time. We both let out a little laugh before he looked at me and spoke, "Ladies first."

"I was just going to ask where we will be heading to for dinner. You know, so I know how I should dress." I suddenly felt awkward.

"I'm sure you'll look beautiful regardless what you wear, but you may want to lean towards some pants rather than a dress," he said as we continued walking.

"Why's that?" I looked up at him.

"Because we'll be riding my motorcycle." He looked over to me watching my face for any indication that I was uncomfortable, but before I could reply he added, "If that's okay with you I mean. I can ask Ton...I mean Sam to borrow his car."

"No it's fine. I've just never been on one before." I snorted. "I sound so sheltered," I laughed at myself.

"This is a first for me too," he said softly.

"But you own the bike," I said confusedly.

"Not the bike, the date," he replied as we came to a stop outside of my apartment building then dropped his arm to release mine.

"Really?" I was shocked. He had to have been lying. The man looked like a damn model and had to have been the most polite man I had ever met. There was no way he hadn't dated. I was surprised he was even single. Wait, there was no wedding ring right? I looked at his hand and it was surely blank, but that didn't mean he didn't have a ring in his pocket. Been there, done that.

"I told you I'm not very good at talking to women." He dug his hands into the pockets of his pants. Steve hung his head, trying to hide the blush I could see creeping up his neck.

"You don't have to talk Steve. I'm sure you have spellbound more women than you know." I bumped my shoulder into his arm with a small laugh which earned me a look of confusion from Steve. "Come on Captain, you have to know you are built like a Greek God, have the face of a model, and a smile that would make any woman swoon." I looked at him, unbelieving that he was this clueless. "To many women, your looks do all the talking."

"And to you?" He looked up slightly, his piercing blue eyes locking on mine from under those gorgeous thick lashes.

"To me, what?" I asked a little caught off guard and feeling unbalanced under his beautiful gaze.

"What about me does all the talking?" he asked, hands still tucked into his pockets, head hung slightly, leaning against the railing of the stairs.

"Your eyes," I replied, not pulling my eyes from his. "They tell a story of their own. They're breathtakingly blue, but that's not all. They hold something in them, like I can see inside them, inside this shield you carry around on the outside." I paused watching his jaw clench slightly and his eyes drop down to look at the ground for a moment before looking back up to me. "You may look hard and rough on the outside, Steve, but your eyes tell me that's much different than what's inside."

The corner of his lips lifted in a small grin. "So it's the inside you're interested in?" he asked taking a step closer to me. I hummed my agreement, feeling my words fail me as he got closer. "I hope that's the part you like more than anything."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I just want to send out a HUGE Thank you to my beta Rckyfrk! You save my life sweetheart I couldn't do this without you! Also, I want to send out a thank you to Carowen for helping to bring back my mojo. Trying to write this chapter was a bit of a struggle but she's whipped me back into shape :) Thanks to both of you ladies! And thank you to anyone who is reading this! 

Dream a Little Dream - Ella Fitzgerald **  
**  
Jolene's POV

 _Stars shining bright above you  
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"  
Birds singing in a sycamore tree  
Dream a little dream of me_

 _Say nighty night and kiss me  
Just hold me tight and tell me you miss me  
While I'm alone and blue as can be  
Dream a little dream of me_

 _Stars fading but I linger on dear  
Still craving your kiss  
I'm longing to linger till dawn dear  
Just saying this_

 _Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you  
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you  
But in your dreams whatever they be  
Dream a little dream of me_

The knock on the door brought me from the trance that was consuming me while I stared into my closet singing. I wasn't sure why I was just standing there like a moron singing to my clothes like they were magically going to fly out and decide on an outfit for me. I wasn't Cinderella and there was no fairy godmother that was going to rescue me today. I walked through the apartment wrapped in a towel, thankful that my roommate wasn't home. As I opened the door, it was pushed back on me and in came Caroline.

"So when's he picking you up?" Her eyes shined bright as she threw her purse down on my couch. "Natalie's not home is she?"

"He should be here in about an hour and a half, and no," I answered as I pushed past her and back down the hallway to my room.

"So where's he taking you? Did he kiss you last night? What did you guys talk about?" I could hear her bare feet padding on the floor behind me as she walked along the hardwood floor.

"I don't know. No. And stuff. Why are you grilling me like I've already went on a date with this guy?" I asked as I stood in front of my closet again.

"Well, as your appointed best friend, it's my duty to ask you these things, so spill!" she said giddily as she hopped up onto my bed. I turned my head to look at her making sure she saw the exaggerated eye roll I was giving her. "Okay, so you don't know where you are going. How does he expect you to know how to dress if he doesn't give you something to go on?" she asked, tucking her legs under her and setting her hands on her lap.

"Well, he said I should probably wear pants since we're taking his motorcycle," I replied as I reached in and grabbed my favorite pair of dark denim capris.

"Holy crap Joe! He rides a bike?" she said jumping up from the bed. "So didn't peg him for a badass."

"Well I didn't peg you to be so nosey when we met. Guess we just aren't good judges of character." I shot her a quick playful look.

"Ex-squeeze me? Who was playing twenty questions when Gibson and I started dating?" She raised her eyebrows at me and I just rolled my eyes at her again. "But anyways, back to you. So, a motorcycle huh?" I gave her an answer with a nod of my head before she started in again, "Well, don't do anything too fancy with your hair since you'll have to wear a helmet." I grabbed my light chambray button down out of the closet and headed to my adjoining bathroom. "Oh, you should totally do those loose curls you do so well. That way the helmet won't mess it up, and the rest of it will look windblown and hot when you get to your destination," she said, sitting on the edge of my bathtub. "I picked out your shoes and purse."

"Thank you," I said with a smile, looking over to her sitting there with my nude heels and matching clutch.

O.O

"My stomach is in knots."

Caroline was standing at my apartment door about to leave. I had about fifteen minutes before I needed to head down to meet Steve. "Joe, you look good. Take a deep breath and smile," she said, putting her hands on my shoulders and shaking me a bit. "When was the last time you went out and had fun with someone?"

"College." I gave her a nervous look. "Your pep talk isn't really working Car." I started chewing on my nails.

"Let me put it this way: you look so good that I'm sure that the bike isn't the only thing that's going to get a good riding tonight." She gave me a devious smile.

"Oh my gosh, Car!" I nearly shouted at her.

"Have fun tonight. Make sure to call me after you get home!" she shouted back at me as she walked out the door. I spent the next few minutes double checking my clothes, makeup and hair before walking out the door and down to wait for Steve. I had been expecting to walk out and catch a breath of fresh air before Steve got there. What I hadn't been expecting was for him to already be standing there, leaning against his bike, helmets sitting on the seat. He seemed like he could've been cut out of some kind of wet dream, complete with dark denim jeans that fit him perfectly, his royal blue dress shirt fitting him just the same underneath that sexy as hell black leather jacket.

"Wow," I breathed out, feeling winded from the assault my eyes were receiving.

"Jolene," he said as he stood up from against his bike, walking up to the foot of the stairs.

"Steve," I said looking down at my feet and carefully taking the steps down to him, trying not to fall due to my already weak knees.

"So I discovered this theater across town that shows classic movies. Does 'Gone With the Wind' sound good?" His eyes glistened as he looked up at me with that adorably shy crooked grin.

"Sounds perfect. Normal guys wouldn't want to see a movie like that. Good choice, though," I said as I stepped off of the last step and onto the sidewalk right in front of him.

"Are you saying I'm not normal?" Steve said raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"Well, are you?" I countered.

"I'd say I'm not sure what normal is anymore," he replied before looking at his surroundings and taking a step back.

"Point made," I smiled, which earned a snort from him.

"Well, if we are going to make it to the movie we should probably get going. You can put your purse in this bag here. I brought an extra helmet for you," he stated, unlatching the bag on the side of the bike for my purse and grabbing the helmet that was meant for me. After putting my purse in its place, I reached for the helmet but Steve jerked it away playfully. "May I do the honors?"

I squared my shoulders to him before shrugging and waiting for him to make his move. He placed the helmet over my head, the full face making me feel slightly claustrophobic, but deciding it was definitely worth it. "Let me hop on and you'll want to saddle in behind me," he instructed, apparently remembering that this was my first time. Steve grabbed his helmet, putting it on quickly before turning towards the bike and swinging a leg to the other side and adjusting himself on the seat. Due to the helmets' causing muffled voices instead of real sentences Steve looked up at me before patting the seat behind him.

Gripping his impressive shoulders for leverage I swung my leg over, straddling the bike before sitting down. Steve turned slightly, lifting my right leg and pointing at the peg I was to put my foot. Once my feet were settled into their positions, Steve reached back, grabbing behind my knees and pulling me forward to be flusher against him. I felt as if I was sitting too close to a fire and I could feel myself starting to melt right there on the seat, but then he grabbed my hands gently in his and wrapped them around to his abdomen. "Hang on tight," he shouted from under his helmet. I nodded my head, giving him notification that I understood, and he roared the bike to life.

As we began to move from the curb, my grip on him tightened. Even though I was melting, feeling him so close to every part of me and his abs rippling under my fingers, my body helped me out by getting itself together enough to tighten my arms around him and thighs against his hips. After hanging on for dear life for the first half of the ride, I began to relax, finding that I felt safer than one should being so exposed on a motorcycle, though I had a feeling that it was more about who I was with than what I was riding.

We pulled up to the small theater that seemed to be secluded from the busy main streets. Steve turned off the bike, taking his helmet off and running his hand through his hair. Who knew such a simple act could be so arousing. I took a deep breath, releasing it and trying to compose myself before taking mine off.

"So is that alley there where you kill me?" I joked after I pulled my helmet off.

"I'm a protector, not a killer, remember?" he said, holding a hand out for me to take while I climbed off of the bike. I grabbed my clutch from the saddle bag and took a few steps back waiting for him to join me.

"I'm sorry, Captain. Must have slipped my mind," I replied making him chuckle and shake his head. Steve climbed from the bike, taking both of our helmets in one of his hands before placing the other on the small of my back, leading me to the ticket booth.

"Two for 'Gone With the Wind,'" Steve said as he dropped his hand from my back and reached into his pocket.

"I'm sorry sir, but that movie only shows on Friday and Saturday nights," the young boy behind the glass stated.

"Oh." Steve looked a bit lost for words for a moment before looking over to me, "I'm sorry."

"What's playing today?" I asked, turning my attention back on the young man.

"'A League of Their Own' starts in just a few minutes," he replied, looking between Steve and I.

"What do you say?" I questioned, looking at Steve who still looked a bit lost.

"I've never seen it before." Steve's eyes stayed on mine as if he was baring something to me, though what it was, I didn't quite know yet.

"It's one of my favorites. It's actually a good movie. But it's definitely a chick flick so I'd understand if you didn't want to watch it," I said, tapping on my clutch nervously.

"We'll take two tickets," Steve told the ticket man.

After getting popcorn and beverages, we headed in to the movie. The room was empty as the advertisements ran on the large screen. Steve followed me, allowing me to pick where we sat. The movie began as soon as we sat down. I had seen this movie more times than I could count so throughout the movie I spent more time watching Steve's profile as he was glued to the screen. Steve squirmed a little in his seat at the first flashback scene, the baseball game for the ladies in a small town, a sign hanging behind their dugout advertising buying war bonds adding to the time period that the movie was taking place in. I'd always loved when the sisters began competing when they are walking home as fast as they could, and the moment Steve chuckled at the competition I knew he'd enjoy the whole movie.

When the train station scene happened, Steve tensed, gripping the armrest so tight I could hear it creak under his grasp. I put my hand on top of his, his eyes snapping to mine. I gave him a tiny smile in the small amount of light the movie was giving off. Steve smiled back, the lighting from the movie making the angle of his jaw even sharper. He was handsome, that was certain, but he looked absolutely stunning in that moment. I could see Steve's body visibly relax and he gave me a nod rubbing over my fingers with his thumb before looking back at the movie screen. Steve turned his hand around into mine during the dance scene full of the ball girls and troops. I watched his face as he kept his eyes on the screen and his jaw clenched and unclenched numerous times until the scene ended.

"I'd much rather listen to you sing," Steve whispered in my ear as Marla sang, making me chuckle.

"If you're lucky, I'll sing for you later," I said in a flirty tone, but it seemed it had gone undetected by Steve, thankfully for me because I had no freaking idea where the heck that came from in the first place. Steve lightly squeezed my hand when the telegram came in for one of the husbands that had died in the war. I looked over to the stoic man sitting next to me, his jaw clenched tight, his eyes glossy and holding that distant look he got so often. I teared up at the end, when Dottie left the game and Kit behind. Steve squeezed my hand catching my attention again and I looked over to see that his eyes were brimming with tears too.

"Mule! Nag!" shouted out from the speakers in the empty theater and Steve let out a chuckle. I watched as the smile on his face pushed a small tear from the corner of one of his eyes. He wiped it away quickly, not wanting me to see that he had gotten emotional. I looked quickly back at the screen to keep him from catching me staring. It took a lot to tear my eyes away from him. I remembered watching this the first time years ago, but watching it with Steve was like watching it for the first time all over again - being able to watch his features change depending on the scene. Seeing a grown man shed a tear over a sibling relationship had to take the cake.

"Are you hungry?" Steve's voice broke me from my thoughts. I hadn't even realized that the lights had gone up and the movie was finished.

"Sure, I could eat," I said standing up and heading towards the exit. "Do you know any place around here?"

"There's a great pizza joint around the corner. Little Mom and Pop place," Steve said as he slid his hand into mine. I looked up at him as we exited the building and began walking down the sidewalk, his hand feeling so good in mine, like they were molded specifically for holding one another. He glanced at me for a moment, giving me a grin before squeezing my hand slightly as we rounded the corner of the block. "Here we are." Steve let go of my hand for a moment taking a step ahead and opening the door for me.

"So why doesn't Nat or Sam ever come with you to the bar?" I asked after we placed our order.

"I'm actually trying to talk Sam into coming with me this weekend," Steve said before taking a drink of his water.

"You talk about him a lot. He's your best friend I take it?" I asked, trying to make the conversation casual but still trying to gather some information on the man I was with.

"He's a good friend," Steve said, averting his eyes for a moment before giving me a forced grin.

"So who's the best friend?" I wasn't trying to drill him but something about the look on his face said there was definitely more to know on this subject.

"I lost him a long time ago." Steve paused, looking down at his hands that were clasped on the tabletop. "He had an accident, didn't wake up the same. When I saw him for the first time after the accident," he paused again taking a deep breath, "he looked right at me and didn't even know who I was." Steve had that distant look in his eyes again when they gazed back up at me.

"That's awful. I'm sure he will remember you eventually. You just have to keep reminding him, you know, be there for him. Kinda rebuild your friendship or something." My heart wrenched in my chest for the man in front of me.

"It's just complicated," he replied, looking away for a moment and then looking back at me. "What about you? Family? Friends? I take it Caroline is your best friend?"

"That she is." I smiled. "Don't know what I'd do without her, although we seem more like siblings rather than friends," I laughed.

"I get that. That's how it was with Buck..." he trailed off.

"It's okay, Steve. I'm sorry I pushed," I replied, setting a hand on top of his. "Are you originally from here?"

"Brooklyn. You?" he turned the question back at me.

"I've lived here for a while, but I'm not from one specific place. My parents never really settled down for too long. I'm an army brat. I guess if you base it off of where I was born, then Fort Worth, Texas. I did move in with my grandmother in Boston when I started high school. So I guess you could say I'm from Boston then. Wow, I'm sorry I'm rambling." I waved my hands in the air.

"Your grandmother, is she the one that got you into the '40s?" Steve asked.

"Yeah. She was wonderful. I wanted to grow up to be just like her. I mimicked my style after the photos I found of her when she was younger. She was a field nurse in the war, not knowing she was pregnant with my Dad at the time. My grandfather died during the war, so she was left alone with my Dad. She had been through so much and was so wise. She passed away my second year of college. She sang, too. She was just wonderful," I rambled again.

"She sounds like it." He smiled up at me, "And your parents?"

"I lost them a year ago. They were hit head on by a drunk driver," I said softly.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Steve said with sadness in his eyes. "I know how it is to lose your parents," he added before giving me a sad smile. "So do you and Caroline live together?"

"No, she lives with her fiancé, Gibson. My roommate's name is Natalie. She's rarely home though. She's a flight attendant or something," I answered. "Anyone live with you?"

"Sam and Nat. There are a few others too." Our pizza came out right after he completed his answer. "Wow this smells delicious."

"Yes it does," I said as I reached for my first piece. We ate in a comfortable silence for the rest of our meal and when the check came Steve grabbed it before it even hit the table. "You should take the rest of this home for Sam and Nat."

"Can't really do that on the bike," he chuckled as he looked out the window we were sitting next to. "I've got a better idea." When the waiter came back Steve asked for a box for the remaining pizza. After the pizza was boxed up, we made our way back to the bike. Walking past it, Steve approached a dirty man that was sitting in the alleyway next to the movie theater. "Here, Sir." Steve handed the man the box before giving him a small smile and nod and walking back to me. I couldn't believe that he had remembered the man had been sitting there in the first place, but for him to think of the probably hungry man when we were leaving the pizza place really spoke volumes as to the type of man Steve was.

Steve was something different, something very special. As my chest swelled a little, I realized just how different he was, because I was falling for the first time. I shuddered at the thought...and the cool breeze sweeping through the street. "Here," Steve said, removing his jacket and holding it out for me to put on. I slid my arms through the soft silk material on the inside, the warmth of his body still held deep inside the fabric and making me shiver again.

"But what about you?" I suddenly felt awful because I was taking his jacket and he didn't have on anything more than I had.

"I'm plenty warm." Steve gave me a breathtaking smile. "You ready to head home?" he asked, holding out my helmet to me.

"Yes and no." I shrugged before grabbing the helmet from his hand, which earned a confused look from him. "I'm not really ready for this date to end."

"Well, we can't have a second date if we don't finish the first." Steve gave me a crooked grin, making the swell in my chest increase.

"Good point," I smiled before putting my helmet on. Steve smiled back then put his helmet on and mounted his bike. He navigated the dark streets home like a professional and although I was more relaxed than I had ever been, I held tight to him, loving the feel of him pressed against me.

When we stopped in front of my apartment building, I didn't want to move. The night had come to the end that I wasn't ready for yet. After turning the bike off, Steve placed his hands over mine, pressing them a bit against his hard abdomen in place of a hug. "I had a great time," I told him as I rested my chin on his shoulder.

"Me too," he replied as he turned his head to look at me. His breath was hot as it fanned over my lips. We were so close, noses almost grazing one another as his eyes locked onto mine. I fought to keep my eyes open, wanting to close them and the distance between our lips, but was too afraid of scaring him off. He had been very much the gentleman throughout the date: opening doors, holding my hand, paying for dinner, assisting me with both mounting and climbing off of his bike, the list could seriously go on and on.

"Jolene?" His whisper broke me from my thoughts, not realizing I had just been silently staring at him.

"Sorry," I said, starting to pull my chin away from resting on him. Steve moved swiftly, his hand cupping the back of my head and keeping me in place.

"Don't," he said with a low voice that sent chills down my spine and his eyes pleaded with mine.

"What?" I asked, looking into his eyes, searching for any answer in his eyes.

"Is it alright if I kissed you right now?" he asked, his eyes looking fearful of rejection. I smiled at him before leaning forward and placing my lips over his. They were full and so soft, but the thing that caught me most off guard was the sense of comfort I found as they moved against mine. He pulled away, turning to face forward and drop his head as he smiled. I could see the blush running up the back of his neck before he turned his head slightly looking up at me from the corner of his eye.

"Thank you for the wonderful date, Steve," I said as I leaned back, placing my hands on his shoulders for stability as I climbed off of the bike. "Have a good night," I added before giving him a smile and turning to walk up the stairs.

"Wait!" Steve shouted, climbing from his bike and jogging up to the bottom of the stairs. "It wouldn't be a real date if I didn't walk you to your door," he said with a grin.

"Are you trying to come up to my apartment, Captain?" I asked, joking with him a bit.

"Oh! No, nothing like that. Just forgot my manners there for a moment. My Mom taught me better than that," he rambled.

"I'm joking with you, Steve," I said putting a hand up to his chest. "That's a very nice gesture."

"Okay," he said with a sigh of relief before holding open the door for me as we walked into the building. "Should we exchange numbers?" Steve asked as we reached the third floor. We stood at my door for a moment exchanging phone numbers before I gave him a kiss on the cheek goodnight and we went our separate ways.

O.O

"Hello," I spoke groggily into my phone.

"I'm coming over and you better spill all of the details!" Caroline chirped from the other end of the line before hanging up.

I climbed out of bed in my micro-mini sleeping shorts and tank top, heading to the bathroom to relieve myself before heading to the kitchen to make me a much needed cup of coffee before Caroline's chipper self arrived. I had just started brewing my cup of coffee when my intercom beeped. I pressed the button allowing her to get into the front door, wondering how she had managed to get here so fast. Shortly after, there was a knock at the door, making me jump and spill my coffee over my top.

"Shit!" I squeaked at the burning hot liquid seeping through the cotton material. Thankful I had decided to put my sports bra on before she got here, I pulled my tank top off before jogging to the door. "Hey Car," I said as I opened the door, turning to put my coffee covered tank top in the washer.

"Jolene." The voice was most definitely not Caroline's and without a doubt Steve's.

"Steve!" I jumped, turning around to face him and pulling at the soaked material in my hands and trying to cover myself the best I could. "Um," I said looking around my apartment to make sure it wasn't a complete and utter mess, "Do you want to come in?" Steve nodded his head keeping his eye line looking at my legs rather than my overexposed torso. Gentleman. "Just...um, make yourself at home while I go put something on that is more appropriate," I said before ducking down the hallway to my room.

I settled on a pair of my favorite worn out jeans and oversized sweater before walking back out into the main living area of the small apartment that Natalie and I shared. Steve was still standing in the entryway, head still hung, looking at the stuff he had in his hands which gave me a chance to really get a good look at him without him catching me staring.

He was dressed in a tight fitting gray workout shirt and a pair of dark blue jogging pants. Every time I had seen the man he had a jacket on, hiding that wonderful figure. He was so broad in his shoulders and chest, but his waist was so narrow giving him a sexy yet intimidating look. Had I not already known how nice he was, I would've assumed he was no one you would want to mess with, but that is to be expected out of a cop I guess.

"Can I look at you now?" His question caught me off guard but caused me to blush. He was still looking at the items in his hands but must have felt my staring anyways.

"I'm dressed. I'm sorry about that. Caroline is supposed to be coming over and I thought you were her," I laughed. "What are you doing here anyways, not that I'm mad about it or anything?" I rambled on, all of a sudden nervous.

"I was in the area and realized you live right around the corner from my favorite place to get coffee," he answered, holding up the cup holder in his hand. "They have amazing muffins as well."

"Do you even eat carbs?" I blurted out. "Oh, I didn't mean to say that. Uh, I am so sorry. I mean...shit." I looked down at my hands trying to hide my face.

Steve chuckled catching my attention, "Only on the weekends." I looked up to catch the flirty grin on his face letting me know he was joking. "You said your friend was coming over?" he asked still standing in place.

"Yeah, she'll probably be here shortly," I answered, walking into the kitchen to clean up the mess of coffee on my floor.

"I can just leave this here for you. I didn't mean to intrude, I guess I should've called or something to see if you had plans," he said, walking into the kitchen just enough to leave the coffees and the bag of what I was sure was muffins on the counter. "I need to go finish my run anyways."

"You're fine. It'll be a while before she gets here. She lives on the other side of town." I threw the washcloth in the sink before turning to face him. "Thank you for surprising me." I smiled before looking at the bag again and noticing it was from Coffee Time Lounge down the street. "Plus Coffee Time is my favorite. You keep earning brownie points, Captain," I joked.

"Come on," I instructed as I grabbed the bag and the coffees from the counter and headed into the living room. I sat everything down on the coffee table and grabbed my phone sending Caroline a quick text message.

 **Give me 30. Steve's here.**

Before I could set the phone back down on the table I got her reply back.

 **Get it girl!**

I rolled my eyes with a smile, knowing she was thinking with her mind in the gutter again. Most times that was the thing I loved most about my best friend, but this was not one of those times. Now I was just dreading when she did get here because she would most definitely be digging for dirty details I didn't have.

"So you just happened to be in the area and wanted to stop by? Didn't get enough of me last night huh?" I asked as Steve sat down at the end of the couch. I grabbed a muffin from the bag before turning on the couch and facing him.

"Now you're making me feel like a creep," Steve said as he leaned forward and grabbed one of the cups of coffee.

"You're not a creep. A creeper maybe, but not a creep," I joked, which earned a raised eyebrow from him. "I'm just kidding, Steve," I laughed, "This is really sweet," which made him give me a shy smile. "I am starting to doubt you have a mean bone in your body."

"Pfft," Steve scoffed.

"Well, I mean as a person. I can't speak for how you are as an officer of the law. I've never seen you in action I guess," I added.

"You want to see me in action?" He said with a smile that looked like he was both amused and wavering on sarcasm.

"You mean like a ride along?" I asked, unsure of whether he was asking or if he was flirting with me. He snorted, his eyes twinkling in the sun shining into the room and making him look more breathtaking. "Are you suggesting sex, Captain?" I bluntly spoke.

"What?" Steve looked absolutely mortified in that moment. "No, not at all. I mean, I'm not dead, so I'd agree to it, but that wasn't what I was suggesting." He mumbled out the last bit. "I was just thinking that I may have to invite you to headquarters or something eventually," he explained.

"Oh, okay," I said before I began to nibble on the muffin that had been sitting in my hand. "So..." I trailed off, not sure where to take the conversation after this.

"Do you like your muffin?" he asked as he watched me pick at the pastry in my hand.

"Banana Nut is my favorite," I smiled.

"Noted," he nodded his head before taking a sip of his coffee again.

"Does that mean I'll be dropping by more?" I asked, trying to hide my hopefulness.

"Depends if you want me to," he replied, setting his cup down on the table and turning towards me on the couch.

"I won't complain if you do," I retorted, setting the muffin down on the table. I could feel the heat of his gaze on me the moment the delectable pastry hit the wood. When I sat back up to face him, the heat intensified and I couldn't fight the feeling that was pulling me towards him. He had one leg tucked under himself, one arm on the back of the couch and the other resting on the leg bent to rest on the floor. He looked so open and vulnerable in his body language. I watched as his lips parted slightly as if to talk or to aid in his breathing. His finely muscled chest was expanding with each deep breath he took, making the simple function of breathing damn near impossible for myself. My eyes wandered over his body before locking onto his pure blues, the shyness in his eyes was now gone and replaced with what I could only describe as a battle between nobility and desire.

"Is he still here?" Caroline's voice cut through the room and the intense setting like a warm knife to butter. "Oh, I guess so!" She crossed the room taking a seat across from us.

"I'll go," Steve said, standing up. "Nice seeing you again Caroline," he nodded to her. "I'll call you soon about that second date," his gaze turned to mine.

"I'll be right back; I'm going to walk him out," I said to Caroline without looking at her, my eyes still locked on Steve's as I stood up.

"Go on, lovebirds," she giggled.

"I'm sorry about her. She's just excited I'm dating again," I mumbled to Steve as we walked to the front door.

"You better treat her right, she's dated enough douchebags," Caroline shouted from the living room.

"Car!" I scolded her.

"It's alright," Steve said placing a hand on my lower back that shot jolts of heat throughout my body. "I only have the best of intensions, ma'am," he answered back to Caroline before giving me a smile. We walked out into the hallway, closing the door behind me so Caroline couldn't eavesdrop. "I'll talk to you soon?" he asked as he turned around to face me while I leaned against the door.

"I guess so if we plan on a second date," I replied looking up through my lashes at him.

"Yes, we definitely need to do that," he smiled down at me, taking a step closer to me, both hands in his pockets. My breath caught in my throat as his hand lifted to my cheek, cupping it before leaning down the rest of the distance to place his lips over mine. His lips were once again soft and pliant as they pressed lightly against mine, but I wanted more than this soft graze of lips.

I lifted my arms up, wrapping them around the back of his neck to hold him in place as I pressed up to my tiptoes to apply more pressure to his lips. I could've sworn I heard Steve groan as the kiss changed to something more than a teasing burn. Steve placed his other hand on the door behind me as he stepped into the kiss more. I ran my tongue along his plump bottom lip, causing him to part his lips slightly as he tried to pull away. I gripped the back of his neck tightly in my hands to keep him from taking his mouth from mine. I slid my tongue between his barely parted lips, feeling his perfect teeth hidden just beyond.

Steve pushed against the door, pushing himself away from my lips enough to speak, "Jolene." It was a whisper of my name as he rested his forehead against mine.

"I'm sorry." I breathed out, even though I wasn't sure what I was apologizing for.

"Don't be," He smiled before giving me another kiss, this one lasting only a few seconds and leaving me wanting more. "I better get going. You shouldn't keep your friend waiting." He smiled as he took a step back and shoved his hands back in his pockets.

"You're right. Goodbye, Steve," I smiled as I started to turn back towards the door.

"Jolene," he nodded with a smirk. He stood there waiting for me to close the door behind me before I saw him walk away through the peephole.

O.O

 **I've got to go out of town on business. Let you know when I get back. - Steve**

The text message came a few days after his surprise visit, letting me know we would have to postpone our date. What I hadn't expected was two weeks of silence.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Just a shout out to those of you that have been reading this and reviewing this! Thank you guys! You help with the muse :) A big ole thank you to Rckyfrk for betaing this for me. Don't know what I'd do without you! And another thank you to my P.I.C. Carowen for letting me pick her brain ;) These Arms of Mine - Otis Redding

"You've got a package in the back room," Caroline informed me when I walked into the bar. I headed to the back of the bar, hoping it was the new microphone we had ordered for the band, but that wasn't what I found when I opened the door. Two dozen red roses placed on the vanity I used and a card sitting between them.

 **Date #2**

 **Going to journey back to the 50s and 60s. Wear whatever you want. No bike necessary.**

 **See you** **at 3 tomorrow** **.**

 **Sorry it took so long.**

 **~Steve**

"I think you found a keeper Joe," Caroline said from the doorway. I looked up at her from the card with a huge smile on my face.

"How'd he know I was off tomorrow? I haven't talked to him in almost two weeks." I wondered aloud.

"He may have asked a little birdy before he wrote the card out and left." She smiled. "You should totally wear a dress. You know, for easy access." She winked.

"Oh my God, Caroline!" I shouted at her. "I can't even talk to you right now," I laughed, walking away and trying to hide my blush.

O.O

"I think you should wear that red dress you refuse to wear every time we go out," Caroline said through the speaker of my phone.

"I just feel like I am showing too much skin in that thing." I pulled said dress from the closet, taking a closer look.

"Joe, I bought that for you for Christmas two years ago. It's seriously begging to be worn. As for the skin showing, I say it's the perfect amount for a second date," Car chuckled.

"I'll try it on, but no promises," I laughed a little. "I gotta go. He'll be here in an hour, and I need to do my hair and makeup."

"Curl it. Oh, and do that one heavy lid liner thing you do with your eyes with the red lips," she shouted out.

"Okay Car. Love you. I'll text you later," I said picking up my phone from my dresser.

"I better get a picture!" she yelled at me before I clicked the button to end the call. I threw the dress down on my bed, grabbing a bra, a pair of boyshorts, and my black T-strap heels. I had just put on my underwear and bra when there was a knock at the door. I grabbed my robe, throwing it around my body as I ran to the front door.

"Hey, I'm so sorry. I swear I'm almost ready," I said, swinging the door open wide before turning to run back to my room. "Come on in and make yourself comfortable. I'll be right out, I promise," I shouted out to him as I started down the hallway. I could hear his footsteps as he entered the apartment and sat down on the couch. I hurriedly put on the red dress after ripping off the tags, deciding I really didn't have time to pick something else out. I buckled up my heels before giving myself a once over in the mirror to fix my hair over one shoulder. Caroline was right, the dress really wasn't too much. The top did show off more chest than I normally did, but I had to give it to Caroline, my boobs looked awesome. I chuckled to myself before grabbing my purse and walking out into the hallway. "I'm so sorry for making you wait," I said as I walked down the hallway towards the living room. I watched as Steve stood up from the couch in his khaki slacks and plaid blue button up shirt with a pair of sunglasses and a hat in his hand.

"You look beautiful." He took two steps towards me, "We ready to go?"

"Yes, we are." We walked out, pausing so I could lock my door before we headed off.

O.O

"Oh my gosh! They have a car show?" I nearly shouted as we entered the park and saw the rows of classic cars.

"That's a first," Steve said as I grabbed his hand and dragged him behind me as I tried to run towards the lot of cars.

"What's that?" I asked as I looked over a 1955 Chevy.

"Just not used to seeing girls excited about cars," he laughed, standing back a few feet and watching me swoon over the beautiful teal and white leather interior.

"I'm far from usual, Steve. I figured you would've figured that out already," I said as I walked up to him and looped my arm through his before walking calmly to the next car. "You aren't very observant for a Captain." I bumped my hip against his, making him chuckle and shake his head. "My Dad loved these types of cars. Always wanted to get one, but never did because we moved so much. He finally got a 1968 Chevelle after he retired," I explained. "He would always take me to shows like this."

"What's that?" Steve asked pointing over to the long, maroon car with white detailing on it.

"'60 Buick," I said matter-of-factly.

"And that one?" He pointed to another car.

"'70 Barracuda," I rattled off.

"Impressive." I looked at him knowing he was already watching me and feeling like a complete dork for the smile that was plastered all over my face.

"Oh my God!" I shrieked, letting go of Steve's arm and jogging over to the car that had been my favorite throughout the years. "A '49 Mercury," I answered him before he could get the question out. "I've always wanted one. It's beautiful don't you think?" I asked without taking my eyes off of the car's gorgeous curves. The car was flat black with chrome detailing and looked to have been chopped four inches.

"Do you wanna sit in her, miss?" I heard someone speak out. I looked up at the older gentleman who was standing behind the car.

"Are you serious?" I was shocked. I had to have been to plenty of these types of shows and you were lucky to get a look under the hood, let alone get the chance to get inside.

"Help yourself darlin'," The man said, gesturing to the driver's side door.

"Best day ever!" I exclaimed in a whisper as I looked up at Steve who was standing at my side. He jolted his chin towards the car with a smirk on his face. I walked up to the car, finding no door handles. I reached inside the open window, patting the door panel in search of the lever that would lead me to heaven. I pulled on the metal handle, popping the door open and eagerly, but carefully, sat inside before closing the door behind me. I ran my hands over the blue metal dash and black leather interior before placing them on the black steering wheel and taking a deep breath. I looked over to Steve who had all his focus on me as the older man stood next to him and talked. I watched as Steve's body stiffened before shaking the man's hand which made me want to get back to him, especially after seeing him so uncomfortable.

"Again, thank you for your service," the man spoke to Steve before walking away. Steve grabbed the baseball cap he had stuffed in his back pocket, placing it on his head and giving the older man a nod.

"What was that about?" I asked as Steve grabbed my hand and we began to walk through the rest of the throngs of show cars.

"Nothing," he replied back before changing the subject. "Hungry?"

"I'll never turn down a funnel cake," I smiled. I sat down on a park bench as Steve walked over to the vendor, coming back with only one funnel cake. "Where's yours?"

"I'm not one for sweets," he said as he sat down next to me and handed me the plate of sweet, fried deliciousness.

"Have you ever had funnel cake before?" I asked as I pulled off a piece and placed it in my mouth with a hum of pleasure. Steve didn't answer, but that silence answered my question on its own. "Come on, you have to try it at least once." I pulled another piece off, holding it out to him.

"No thank you," he tried to politely decline. I shook my head at him still holding out the piece, not taking no for an answer. Steve let out a chuckle before leaning in, sticking his tongue out to collect the piece from my fingers, his tongue grazing the side of my thumb. I had to resist the urge to let out a sigh as I watched his tongue pull the piece from my fingers. "Mmmm!" he hummed out in surprise.

"Good, huh?" I asked as I tore another piece off for myself. "Want some more?" I asked before placing it into my mouth. Steve let out a small laugh before nodding his head. "I'm a bad influence on you, Captain," I laughed as he tore off a large piece which earned another louder laugh from him. "I'll admit, I must like you a lot to be sharing this with you. Had you been anyone else, you'd be missing fingers right now." Steve gave me that adorable crooked grin, making my heart flutter in my chest again and I gave him another bright smile.

~.~

"What made you think to bring me here?" I asked as we walked down the sidewalk through the park.

"To be honest, Sam actually brought it up. I'd love to take credit, but he suggested it when we were on our way back from our mission." Steve looked away from me quickly, taking a pause before adding more to his answer, "He said something about the music being great and that he wanted to check it out. I thought you'd like it, the music and the setting."

"What mission?" I asked curiously.

"We've been searching for this guy for a while. Got a lead and couldn't wait on it. Sorry again, for taking off like that," he answered, still looking at anything but me.

"Did you find him?" I knew I was walking into uncharted territory, both knowing he couldn't disclose too much information on a case and also knowing he was already so secretive about his job.

"We chased him for a while, but the tracks kept going cold," he said as he finally looked over at me.

"What did that old man say to you back there that made you uncomfortable?" I asked, still wondering why he had changed his demeanor back there.

"I...I don't do well with public attention. I do my job to help people, I don't expect anything in return for that. The payoff is knowing I saved lives and that's enough." He answered. I could tell there was more, but for now I would leave it alone. I could tell just from Steve's body language that he was beginning to pull away, and the day was just too beautiful to ruin over something so small.

"Aw, look at that," I said taking a step off the sidewalk onto the grass and pointing at the elderly couples slow dancing on the dance floor in front of a small band. "If I could wish for anything in my life, it'd be to have that. That love that lasts through the years but never truly ages," I said, putting a hand over my heart and watching the couples smile as they moved around the floor. "I mean they may look old, but when you really look at them, you can still see their young selves still there." I was so lost in thought as I watched the lovers move around that I gasped as Steve's hand slid through mine, squeezing it slightly to gain my attention.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked as I looked up at him, his eyes sparkling in the sunlight peeking through the trees.

"I'd love to," I replied with a smile. Steve took the lead this time, walking me over to the dance floor and tucking his hat in his back pocket before reaching for my hand. The tempo slowed even more when the next song started, "Put your hands on my hips or lower back. Whatever is comfortable for you." I rested both of my hands behind his neck and waited to him to put his hands on my body. The thought excited me as I pressed myself closer to him. He rested his hands on me, his large hands splaying over my back, just above the curve of my behind. We swayed along with the music as I whispered the lyrics to myself, smiling because it happened to be one of my favorite Otis Redding songs.

 _These arms of mine, they are lonely,_

 _Lonely and feeling blue._

 _These arms of mine, they are yearning,  
Yearning from wanting you._

 _And if you would let them hold you,  
Oh, how grateful I will be._

Steve and I locked gazes as I continued singing along with the song.

 _These arms of mine, they are burning,_

 _Burning from wanting you._

 _These arms of mine, they are wanting,  
Wanting to hold you._

 _And if you would let them hold you,  
Oh, how grateful I will be._

Steve pressed firmly against my back, bringing our bodies closer as they swayed. He wore that lovable smirk on his face as our bodies collided with one another. My heels were not high enough to be eye to eye with him; I leaned back slightly to keep eye contact, but then decided to rest my head against his strong shoulder as we finished out the song together like lovers on a dance floor.

 _Come on, come on baby_

 _Just be my little woman._

 _Just be my lover._

 _I need me somebody, somebody to treat me right.  
I need your arms, loving arms to hold me tight._

 _I need your, I need your tender lips, to hold me,  
To hold me together when I'm around you._

"I like that song," he whispered in my ear as the song came to a close.

"Me too," I said pulling my head back up to look at him. The tempo changed as the band began singing Mickey and Sylvia's 'Love Is Strange'. "Can I talk you into learning something else?" I asked as I took a step back from him.

He raised an eyebrow at me before saying, "Is the teacher giving me a choice?"

"Don't you wanna dance with me, Steve?" I said, trying to give him my best puppy dog eyes.

Steve rolled his eyes playfully before looking back at me, "What do I have to do?"

"Hands like the first time we danced. This is called the Cha-Cha" I instructed and he placed one hand on my hip, the other in my hand, leaving space between us so he could watch my feet. "So, first I want you to feel the beat of the song. Sway your hips a little bit." Steve quirked an eyebrow at me before he followed my lead and moved his hips slightly to he beat, his eyes darting around the area every once in a while to see if anyone was staring. "Good. Now watch my feet." Steve stopped moving his hips, standing still as he watched my feet.

I rocked forward first, did a triple step, and then rocked back with the opposite foot. I repeated the steps a few more times letting him follow my feet with his eyes as he tried to memorize the steps. "Okay, your turn." I stood still as I watched his feet move stiffly to the beat. Once he had done a few sets his hips loosened and his feet became more graceful, almost as if it was a natural movement for him.

"Doing good!" I encouraged him, making him look up at me with a smile. He kept his eyes on mine as his feet continued the same steps and I began to do the same without him noticing it. "Okay, pull me closer," I said as we continued the steps to the beat of the music. Steve moved his hand from my hip, sliding it over my back, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me tightly to him. The action nearly took my breath away and it wasn't from how hard he had forced me against his body.

"This better?" he asked as our eyes locked on each other's, the same moment my body collided with his and our legs mingled together now in a close embrace. I nodded a small nod, unable to do much of anything else. His thigh brushed against the inside of mine as he took a step forward and I rocked back. The smirk had fallen from his face, his full lips staying in a hard line while his jaw clenched and his eyes burned with intensity into my body. I felt on fire as our bodies continued working together and although I had danced many times and with many different men, I had never found it this arousing.

After the song finished, Steve kept me held against him, our eyes still locked and his jaw clenched in concentration. We were no longer moving, standing still in our embrace in the middle of the dance floor as the other couples danced around us. "Do you want to walk around for a little bit longer?" I asked, not moving at all.

Steve didn't reply as he dropped my hand, stepping aside but keeping his hand on my back. We walked around the festival for a little while, looking at different vendors until we found one full of greaser style clothing. "I've been looking for something like this!" I said as I ran ahead of Steve and into the tent. I went straight to the back wall display, finding a leather motorcycle jacket. I put it on, instantly falling in love with it and heading for the cashier to pay for it.

"My leather jacket not good enough for you?" he asked as he gave me a playful grin.

"Oh, crap! I forgot I still had yours. Remind me to give that back to you tonight." I had completely forgotten that I had his jacket back at my apartment. Steve looked like he was ready to reply when he was cut off by someone shouting his name.

"Hey, man! I thought that was you," a dark skinned man said as he walked up and patted Steve on the back. "Oh, is this her?" the man asked before looking over at me. "Hi, I'm Sam. Steve talks about you a lot. I mean... a lot!" he said, sticking his hand out and shaking mine. I looked out of the corner of my eye to Steve who was rolling his eyes before running a hand over his face and then through his hair in frustration. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your date. Marleen and I were just heading over to see the band," he said, pointing at another stage across from where we were standing. "You guys should come with us. The band is really great," Sam said with a bright smile.

"That sounds great!" I replied, grabbing Steve's hand and giving him a smile.

"I didn't think we would run into him. I'm sorry," Steve said as we followed the other couple.

"It's fine. It's nice being able to put a face with the name." I squeezed his hand slightly.

Sam was right, the band was extremely good, but only played fast paced songs, which kept me from being able to dance with Steve again. The boys spent time chatting while I got to know Marleen. "Come on Marleen!" I said, grabbing her hand and pulling her out onto the dance floor to do the twist with me. I watched the boys as we danced. Gone was the smile that was on Steve's face, replaced with a serious one that looked to be lost in contemplation as he nodded along with whatever Sam was talking about. After the song ended we rejoined the boys, who had begun laughing at some joke Sam had cracked.

"You swing dance?" Sam asked looking over to Marleen. She gave him a puzzled look and shook her head as if she didn't know what he was talking about.

"You?" he asked looking at me this time.

"It's been a while but yes. How do you know how to swing dance?" I asked, looking over at Sam.

"My Mom was a dance instructor," Sam replied before looking over at Steve. "Steve, you tell anyone back at headquarters and I will push you off of a tall building. You may be strong, but you can't fly." Steve let out a chuckle, putting his hands up in surrender before looking over at me and shaking his head. "You wanna dance?" Sam asked directing the question to me. I looked over at Steve as if to ask if it was okay.

"You know I'm not getting out there," Steve joked.

"If it's alright with Marleen," I replied looking over to Sam's beautiful date.

"I don't mind. I honestly want to see this unfold," she joked. Sam grabbed my hand, pulling me out to the dance floor after Marleen took my purse and new jacket. Sam was a decent dancer and he was way better at swing dancing than I was. It was apparent I had gotten rusty over the past few years. Sam twirled me around, picking me up and swinging me around like a rag doll as the band played 'Rip It Up'. He even dipped me at the end of the song.

"That was fun." Sam smiled as he lifted me back up to my feet. "You've got to up your game man," Sam said to Steve as we walked back to our dates. "Well, Marleen and I have dinner plans so we've got to go, but it was wonderful finally meeting you, Jolene," Sam said giving me a hug before patting Steve on the back. After I gave Marleen a hug goodbye we went our separate ways. Steve and I walked through the park, hearing the sound of what was undoubtedly 'Rebel Without A Cause' playing off in the distance.

"It sounds like they are having a movie in the park," I said looking up at Steve who was walking soundlessly beside me. "What's wrong?" I asked, taking a step in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Was just thinking," he replied, looking up at me. "You know Tony Stark?"

"Yeah, why?" He looked nervous for some reason.

"Well, he's hosting this party next weekend and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me," he said, nervously stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Why are you acting so weird about this? Do you honestly think I would tell you no?" I wasn't sure why he was being so weird about asking such a simple thing. Wasn't it obvious I liked him...a lot? Was he not feeling what I was feeling? Those thoughts alone put enough doubt in my mind to make myself nervous.

"I'm just nervous about you meeting my colleagues," Steve replied, looking me over and seeing my now nervous stature. "What?"

"I'm sure your colleagues are wonderful," I replied flatly, the negative voice in my head now filling my brain with doubt.

"Jolene?" He spoke my name in a question making me look up at him. "What's wrong?" he asked, taking another step towards me and placing a hand on my arm.

"Is it your colleagues you are worried about or me?" I blurted out.

"Oh, it's definitely them," Steve snorted. "To say they are an odd bunch is putting it lightly," he smiled. "Most definitely them," he chuckled.

Seeing Steve laugh had been just what I needed to beat back the troublesome voices trying to dampen my mood. "I like you a lot, Jolene. I," he paused, pulling his hands up to cup the sides of my face. "I mean I like-like you," he said, emphasizing the first 'like,' making me smile. "And that right there is one of the many reasons I'm falling so hard." He smiled before leaning down, brushing his lips over mine chastely before pulling away. "You ready to blow this popsicle stand?" he asked, dropping his hands from my face down to grasp mine. Just as his hands laced through mine, it began to rain.

"Come on!" I shouted at him before letting go of one of his hands, still holding the other and pulling him to a run behind me. We ran through the park towards the entrance that was just down the block from my apartment. Once we got to the sidewalk, I released his hand, taking off at a faster pace towards my place. Steve stayed on my heels as I laughed and splashed through puddles as we ran. He ran past me when my building came into view, holding the door open for me after someone else had exited. As soon as my soaked and high heeled feet hit the smooth tiled floor, I slipped.

"I got you," he said as his arm wrapped around my back. He leaned down, placing his other arm behind my knees before he lifted me off of the floor and began taking the stairs two at a time. He didn't place me back on my feet until we had reached my apartment door. "Sorry, didn't want you to get hurt," he said without an issue; I had no idea how in the world he wasn't out of breath.

"Do you want to come in?" I asked as I pulled my keys from my purse.

"I'd like that," he said, pulling at his shirt that was soaked through and was now clinging to him. I opened the door, walking in and holding it open for him before slipping my heels off and walking down the hallway to the bathroom to grab a few towels.

"Here," I said, tossing a towel to him. "I'm going to get changed and see if I have anything you can use; then we can throw those clothes into the dryer for you," I said as I turned to walk back down the hallway. I dried my hair to the best of my ability before putting on my dad's old baseball tee and my tribal print cotton shorts. I searched through a drawer I didn't venture through very often, pulling out a pair of men's workout pants and a t-shirt. Steve was standing in the middle of my living room trying to dry his shirt with the towel I had given him. The sight made me giggle, which in turn caught his attention. "This should work for you," I said, handing over the clothes. "Bathroom is the first door on the right. I'll make us some coffee."

"You said you could dry these?" Steve asked, standing at the edge of the kitchen.

"Sit them on the counter there. I'll put them in after I'm done with the coffee." Steve gave me a nod before setting his clothes down and walking back to the living room. As the second cup of coffee brewed, I took his clothes, placing them in the dryer and coming back for the coffee to take to the living room. "They fit okay?" I asked as I handed him his cup of coffee.

"Yes, Ma'am. Whose clothes are they?" he asked before taking a sip of his coffee.

"My dad's," I said before grabbing the remote to the TV.

"Oh," Steve said as he sat his coffee down on the table.

"I know it's weird, he's gone but I still kept some of his and Mom's stuff. Does that bother you? I mean you wearing his stuff?" I rambled, running my finger around the rim of my cup instead of looking at him.

"It's not weird," he replied. I felt a shift in the couch cushions just before his lightly clenched fist brushed against the underside of my chin, applying just enough pressure to push me up to look at him. "I'm honored. He's one of the many heroes of this country. It's an honor that you'd even think I'm worthy enough to even share this with me." His eyes held an intense blue as they wavered between looking into mine. I gave him a smile before nodding slightly, his hand still pressed firmly under my chin keeping me from moving too much.

"Do you want to watch a movie or something? Until the rain stops, I mean," I said, reaching out and placing my cup on the table without looking. Steve leaned closer, the tip of his nose brushing against mine before he tilted his head to the side. I closed my eyes expecting the pressure of his lips, waiting with parted lips that begged to be claimed by his own.

"I just really want to kiss you," he whispered, his hot breath spreading over my lips instead.

"That sounds like a better idea." My eyes fluttered open only to see his were closed. I wasted no time, not wanting to give him the chance to back out, and placed my hands on the back of his neck, adding pressure to close the distance. His full lips pressed forcefully against mine, moving over them with a new found confidence as his hand skimmed along my jawline, over the nape of my neck and into my hair. He pulled me further into his lips, as if there was any way to make our mouths mold together more, making me sit up straighter, trying to meet his height. His hand massaged my scalp as the other rested next to my knee, pressing into the couch cushion to hold his weight. I parted my lips, tempted with the idea of slipping my tongue along his lip but was pleasantly surprised when his tongue met mine with the same idea. His tongue slid over mine, into my mouth causing me to moan out. He tasted of coffee for the most part, but there was an added sweetness to his taste. I moaned again, rolling my tongue over his, wanting to savor every taste.

My hands slid over his broad shoulders before coming to rest on his hard pecs and gripping the cotton material the shirt between our flesh. I pulled at the shirt in my hands as I lifted onto my knees on the couch, towering over him as our mouths continued their battle. I could feel the fire racing through my veins, my every nerve-ending standing on end as if I was anticipating something else.

I could fell the burn in my belly grow, catching me off guard at the new sensation. I didn't know exactly what all of this meant. I had felt attraction, sexual attraction before, but it never burned throughout my body like it was right now. I felt pulled to him so much it seemed as if i was standing on a cliff ready to let the wind take me off the edge, but within his embrace I felt safe, knowing if the wind came and I fell, Steve would be there to catch me.

Without thinking, I pushed against his chest, swinging a leg around to the other side of him, straddling his lap as we continued to kiss. His hand stayed in my hair, his thumb brushing against the tender spot behind my ear and his other hand sitting atop my bare thigh. My hands moved from his shirt to the sides of his face while I pulled my lips away from his. Our eyes both opened, locking on one another while i settled myself in his lap. The moment felt like it spanned forever, but it could have only been for a few moments as I only took two deep breaths before leaning in for another searing kiss.

Steve moaned into my mouth as his hands moved to my hips. His thumb brushed against the skin above my shorts, his hands concealed by the oversized shirt i was wearing. Lava was running through my veins, my body the volcano about to erupt. I wanted more, needed more. The throbbing between my thighs increased as I felt something press against me. My hips moved of their own accord, rubbing against the bulge that I knew was surely Steve's member. Steve's hands gripped my hips tighter as I rocked on his lap, our breathing erratic as our mouths moved in a lovers' dance.

Steve's grip tightened further, the pain pushing past a point of pleasure and only becoming pure pain. I pulled back with a hiss, dropping my hands from his face and grabbing his wrists. Steve loosened his grip, looking up at me. The intense look in his eyes had shifted from desire to fear in a matter of moments.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Steve said, pulling his hands back and letting them on the couch at his sides. I climbed from his lap, sitting to the side of him. "I should go."

"Steve," I said grabbing one of his hands as he pushed against the couch to lift himself to his feet. "It's okay. Let's rewind. Why don't you kiss me instead?"

Steve gave me a light smirk before leaning towards me, his lips grazing over mine briefly. He stood up as his lips left mine, looking down at me before giving my hand a squeeze back, "I really should get going."

"But it's still raining," I said, trying to find any reason for him to stay.

"Jolene, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to melt. It isn't raining that badly anymore," Steve smiled.

"But," I began to speak but was cut off by Steve bending down and placing a kiss on my lips for another short moment.

"I respect you too much, Jolene." Steve stood back up, looking towards the door and then back at me. "You're tempting. You know that?" He said pulling me up to my feet. "I...I don't want to rush this. I'm going to go before you change my mind." Steve gave me a devious smirk before kissing my forehead and walking to the door. "Talk to you later?" he asked. I gave him a smile before nodding my head with my answer. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Steve." He gave me one more smile before closing the door behind him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Latch - Sam Smith (Acoustic Version)**  
"So things got hot and heavy and he just left?" Caroline huffed.

"He said he respected me too much," I told her once again.

"That's it. That's it! He's gay! We found his flaw as a boyfriend," she exclaimed.

"He's not gay, Car. He's just not ready to jump in the sack yet. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that," I defended.

"So basically what you are telling me here is that Mr. Perfect is not only sweet and hotter than the surface of the sun, but he's also an old-fashioned gentleman?" She gave me a look with one eyebrow cocked. I shrugged my shoulders instead of answering her. I was done with the load of questions she had grilled me with since she woke me up this morning to announce she was on her way to my place. She was just about to start with what I knew was another series of questions when the front door opened.

"Looks like you've got some stuff here, Joe." The voice was that of my roommate, something I wasn't quite used to hearing often but still recognized. She came past the kitchen and into the living room holding a single red rose and the stack of my father's clothes that Steve had used the night before. "Men's clothing huh?" Natalie quirked an eyebrow.

"She's dating this guy named Steve," Caroline practically shouted, which earned her a quick slap on the arm from me.

"Good for you, Jolene. I'd love to sit and chat, but I really need to crash. Work has been a real bitch." Natalie sat the clothes and rose on the kitchen table before heading down to her room. "Good luck with this one, Joe. Caroline, nice seeing you again," she shouted back to us before closing her bedroom door.

"She looks worse for wear," Caroline blurted out as I stood up to retrieve my stuff.

"She works a lot, Car. We'd look like hell after working for three solid weeks too," I answered her, picking up the rose and lifting it to my nose. I pulled my phone from my pocket to send Steve a quick message.

 **Why didn't you knock? - J**

 **I could hear you ladies talking and didn't want to interrupt. - S**

 **You wouldn't have been interrupting anything. Actually you would've been saving me. - J**

 **I'm sure she's not that bad. - S**

 **I may kill her if she doesn't stop asking questions. - J**

 **Don't do that. - S**

 **I can't promise anything. Thank you for the rose by the way. - J**

 **You are very welcome. - S  
**  
"Are you talking to him right now?" Caroline says breaking my focus. "You don't have to answer, the smile on your face answers for you."

"Shut up." I rolled my eyes.

 **Do you want to come over for dinner tomorrow night? - J**

 **I can't. - S**

 **Would another day work better for you? - J**

 **Thursday? - S**

 **I have to sing that night. How about Friday? - J**

 **Good for me. - S**

 **See you Friday then. - J**

"Will Krista be working this weekend?" I asked Caroline as I sat my phone down.

"Yeah, she's going to be bartending with me, why?" She gave me an odd look, "Do you have plans this weekend?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure that you were going to have help. I knew I didn't have to sing this weekend with that cover band in town, so I figured that maybe I'd be able to take Friday andSaturday off," I answered before walking back to my bedroom, knowing that she would follow.

"I'll have plenty of help. What plans do you have?" she asked as she jumped up onto my bed.

"I just asked him over for dinner on Friday, and then we have that party at Stark Tower that he invited me to," I shrugged before digging through my closet.

"A party at Stark Tower? Are you freaking kidding me!? Is he some kind of superhero or something? How the hell did he get an invite to a thing like that in the first place?" She was genuinely surprised at this new bit of information.

"He's a police officer, Car. I'm sure he probably works closely with them. The whole fighting against crime thing," I answered matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Would still be cool if he was a superhero," she mused.

"Well, he is. Ironman and his group fight the crime of the world, Steve helps fight crime in the streets." I smiled at her.

"Oh my gosh Joe, what are you going to wear to this thing?!" Her voice had returned to its overly excited tone. "His parties are always super fancy, or at least that's what I've been told. You have to wear something fancy. Actually, I saw a perfect dress at that shop down the street from my place. I'm going to go get it right now!" she shouted as she jumped up from my bed and raced past me. "I'll see you at work!" she shouted down the hallway before I heard her slam the front door behind her.

O.O

Steve surprised me with flowers, muffins, and coffee left outside my door every day leading to our dinner date. I found it odd but endearing that he thought of a little something each day that passed leading up to our date. I felt, for the first time, like I was being courted by a man rather than dating a boy. When our date night finally came, I was eager to see him.  
I put on my ivory long-sleeved V-neck shirt before sliding into my high-waisted plum maxi skirt. I walked out to the kitchen, the cool tiled floor feeling good against my bare feet. I was feeling overheated, the excitement of seeing Steve coursing through my veins like lava. I had started peeling potatoes when there was a knock at the door.

"You're early," I spoke as I opened the door and saw Steve standing there holding a dozen red roses and a bottle of wine. He looked up from under the curtain of his long lashes and took my breath away with that adorable crooked grin of his.

"I tried to wait downstairs, but I didn't want the wine getting warm." He gave me a wide smile after he spoke. "These are for you."

"Thank you, sir," I replied as he handed me the flowers and chilled bottle. "Come on in and make yourself at home. I'm in the middle of making dinner, so give me a little bit," I said as I held the door open for him. He stepped past the threshold enough for me to close the door behind him.

"Can I help with anything?" Steve said, following behind me as I walked into the kitchen to get a vase for the flowers and put the wine in the fridge.

"No, I said I would make dinner for you. Can't really do that if you are helping," I smiled back at him as I placed the roses into the crystal cylinder. "The remote is on the table. You can pick out a movie if you want." Steve didn't make a move as I began skinning potatoes again. He leaned against the wall of the kitchen, watching me instead. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as I peeled another potato. Steve rushed to my side before I had even felt the sharp sting in my finger.

"Jolene!" he breathed out as he made me drop the knife in my hand and grabbed the other one. He moved me from the counter to the sink, running the cold water and placing my hand under the liquid.

"See? You're a distraction," I chuckled as he checked over the depth of the cut.

"Doesn't look like you need stitches. Where do you keep your first aid kit?" Steve said as he let go of my hand.

"There are band-aids in the cupboard over there," I said, pointing to the one that held what he was looking for. Steve retrieved the bandaids before turning around and taking the small hand towel off of the stove to dry my finger. His focus on the task at hand was intense as he pulled a band-aid from its box and wrapped it around the wounded digit before pulling it up to his lips and placing a kiss over the cut area.

"Mom always said kisses made the pain go away," Steve said, looking into my eyes, his cheeks flushing lightly. "How's it feel?"

"It's alright, but I think _I_ could use some more kisses." I pulled my hand from his wrapping it around the back of his neck and pulling him to me.

"Only if you'll let me peel the rest of the potatoes. I don't like seeing you hurt," Steve said as his lips hovered over mine. I gave him a playful eye roll before lifting onto my toes and pressing my lips against his. It was a brush of lips at first before his tongue pushed itself into the seam of my lips. The feeling of Steve being forceful for once set me on fire, but before I could press our bodies closer, Steve was pulling away. He gave me a quick smirk before stepping over to the counter I had been working at before. "Better get started on whatever else you had planned," He smirked again, gesturing to the flour sitting on the counter next to the stove.

"Yes sir, Captain!" I said with a mock salute. Steve and I worked quietly on the opposite sides of the kitchen as my playlist of favorite music played through my Bluetooth speaker. I finished making the dinner roll dough at the same moment Steve had finished chopping up the potatoes. He set them on the stovetop to boil while I placed the rolls in the oven and set the timer for twenty minutes.

"How's your finger?" Steve's voice and his hand on the back of my arm startled me as I cleaned up the flour-covered counter. I turned around quickly and the flour in my hand flew across Steve's stomach, covering a good portion of his light gray Henley.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Steve," I exclaimed as I attempted to wipe the mess off of his shirt, but only ended up making it worse since my hands were still covered as well.

"Are you really?" Steve chuckled as I let out a sigh at the even bigger mess I had created. "It's alright Jolene. Really, it's fine," Steve said as he ran his hands over his abdomen to brush away the flour. I turned around, cleaning the rest of the mess I had made. "Do you still have that shirt I left here?" Steve said, gaining my attention again. The wind was knocked from my lungs when I turned around to find a shirtless God standing there with his dirty shirt in hand. I couldn't form words as my eyes roamed over the exposed skin of his perfectly sculpted abs. My eyes slid down to the prominent lines starting under his hip bones. "Jolene?" My eyes snapped up to his and I felt the back of my neck heat from being caught gawking at him. I prayed to God that I hadn't drooled in the process of staring at this man. Steve tossed his shirt onto the counter before leaning back against it and raising an eyebrow at me.  
"Steve." His name came out more like a rush of breath rather than an actual word, but his name was the only word my brain could function enough to produce. His hands gripped the edge of the counter at his sides as I took the few steps it took to stand in front of him. "Are you even real?" I asked while keeping eye contact as best I could before my eyes slowly lowered over his exposed neck, collarbones, chest, and stomach. Steve let out a nervous chuckle as I lifted my hand in front of me.

"Jolene." My name slid between his lips in a weak attempt to warn me from what my brain had already decided to do. I wasn't even sure my brain was making the decisions anymore as I felt all my nerves ignite in flames, my core clenching as my hand came closer to his stomach. Steve gripped the counter tighter as my fingers made contact with his overheated skin. I already known he'd have to have been sporting an impressive six pack from the preview his tight shirts had shown, but to see it without a material barrier was beyond words. My index finger traveled along the center line of his stomach, causing Steve to suck in a breath. My eyes snapped to his while my finger crawled its way slowly down to his navel before pulling my hand away slightly to return it to another line on his abdomen. I dropped my gaze to follow my finger as it weaved its way through each line of his abs. I slowly traced each line of his stomach before getting bold and moving both hands to trace the lines of his Adonis belt. I left one hand on his hip as the other grazed the top of his jeans, causing Steve to let out a groan. I looked up wondering if this was irritating him or turning him on. His eyes were shut tight, his grip on the counter threatening to snap through the marble. His bottom lip was held captive between his perfect teeth in an attempt to hold back his response to my touch. I glanced back down at my hand that was barely pressed against his skin, looking past it and seeing the bulge in his dark denim jeans. A thrill ran through my body, leaving lava behind that was heating every inch of my skin. Something about being able to see his response to my touch and knowing he was just as turned on as I was because of all of this spurred me to push a little further this time. I watched his face as I pulled my hand away from his stomach. The tips of my fingers skimmed over the denim of his jeans before tracing the outline of his erection that was straining against his jeans. "Mmm." The moan escaped him as I watched him try to gulp it back down with a bob of his Adam's apple. I made it far enough to cup him through the fabric before he lightly gripped my wrist. "Jolene." I was sure my name wasn't supposed to come out the moan that it did, but I enjoyed hearing it that way. His grip on my wrist went slack, allowing me to give him a firm stroke, causing him to let out another guttural moan before he gripped my wrist a little harder. I didn't want to stop, even though I was sure his touch was telling me that I should. "Jolene…..oh my god….oh…..we shouldn't be…mmmmm…doing this," He mumbled out between heavy breaths as I continued giving him only the small strokes his grip would allow.

"Why not?" I asked as I used my index finger to brush over the head of his girthy member. "Doesn't it feel good?" I watched as Steve tried to open his eyes to look at me, but they rolled back and closed again as I gave him another firm stroke. He let out a hum in response, his hand dropping from my wrist to the counter again and gripping it so hard his knuckles went white. "Something bad wouldn't feel good Steve. I just want to make you feel good." I gave him another light stroke, causing him to groan again. His mouth dropped open as his eyes squeezed shut and his chest heaved.

"This shouldn't be about me," he gathered himself enough to say as his left hand came to rest on my wrist.

"Then make me feel good, too, Steve. It's alright to touch me." I spoke in the most seductive tone I could manage, hoping it would spur him into action. His right hand came up cupping my jawline as his blue, pupil blown eyes opened and locked onto mine. The action alone was enough to make my heart speed up even faster than it had already been racing, but I felt the denim covered flesh under my hand push against my palm more as he pushed himself from the counter making me take a step back. He moved his other hand from my wrist to my hip, moving me around and pinning me to the wall of the entryway. His lips were on mine before I could catch my breath, knocked from my lungs by hitting the wall with such force. I didn't really care. Who needed oxygen anyways? Surely breathing was overrated when compared to kissing Steve. His lips were hot, full, and full of dominance in that moment. I pulled my hand from his crotch and wrapped it around his neck, pulling him closer to me. My other hand gripped the back of his arm trying in every way to push him to consume me. My body was on fire, my heart beating faster than the bass drum in 'Hot for Teacher'. Steve forced his tongue between my lips, owning my mouth as I moaned and scraped my nails over his scalp. His erection was pressed firmly against my stomach and I cursed my choice of clothing today because all I wanted to do was wrap my legs around his waist and feel him press against my overheated core.

"You deserve better than this, more." Steve suddenly pulled his lips from mine, leaving me trying to catch my breath. Steve rested his forehead against mine, pulling his hand from my hip to mirror his other on my cheek.

"Then give me more," I managed to say after stabilizing my breathing. I dropped my hand from his neck, running it over the center of his chest and over his stomach. I had almost made it to the waist of his pants when he grabbed my hand softly and lifted it, placing it over his thrumming heart.

"I'm trying," he breathed out. He kissed me softly before pulling away fully this time. Standing up straight, he started to speak again. "This," he said, gesturing between us with his hand, "this isn't about a romp in the sheets." Steve grabbed my hand that was still laying over his heart, kissing it before looking back at me again, "I don't want to have sex with you, Jolene. Sex is an act that should be had between two people who love each other." The words nearly broke my heart. I knew I was falling for him, on the brink of dropping the L-bomb myself when the time felt right. I dropped my eyes to the floor, trying to look anywhere I could without looking at him and revealing the hurt I knew was held in my eyes. He placed my hand back over his heart before he continued talking, "I want to make love with you Jolene, when we get to that point." I could feel the tears weighing on my bottom lid as I looked up at him. His eyes were clear and bright blue, filled with adoration and honesty. "And we'll get there. It may be tomorrow, next week, or next month, but it is going to happen. I'm certain of it, because I'm already falling for you."  
I opened my mouth to reply, but the sounds of something sizzling in the kitchen demanded attention. "Shit!" I hissed out, pushing my hand against Steve's chest to push him out of the way. I ran to the stove turning down the burner on the pot of potatoes before stirring it. "Your shirt is sitting on top of my dresser in my bedroom. It's at the end of the hallway on your right," I added as the timer for the rolls went off. I pulled the rolls from the oven, sitting them on a pot holder on the counter to cool before stirring the potatoes. I felt his strong arms surround me, wrapping around my sides as his hands rested on my stomach and chin rested atop my head.

 _You lift my heart up when the rest of me is down_  
 _You, you enchant me even when you're not around_  
 _If there are boundaries, I will try to knock them down_  
 _I'm latching on, babe, now I know what I have found_

I hummed along with the music as the lyrics sang the words that lingered in my heart still left unspoken. Steve swayed behind me to the music, letting me set down the cooking utensil in my hand before spinning me around in his arms. I placed my hands on the back of his neck as we swayed back and forth, letting the words of the song wash over us. Steve leaned down, capturing my lips with his own in a gentle kiss before pulling back and resting his forehead against mine, eyes closed as we finished our dance silently.

Steve set the table as I finished preparing the rest of our meal. I sat the pot roast with its roasted vegetables on the table along with the dinner rolls before bringing out the bowls of mashed potatoes and homemade gravy.

"This looks amazing Jolene," Steve smiled up at me after looking over the offerings.

"Let's just hope it tastes as good as it smells," I giggled. I watched Steve as he took his first bite, his jaw flexing as his mouth moved to process the food, his beautiful lips clamped tight and polite.

"Delicious. My mom used to make this like once a month when we had the extra money. It's just as good as hers, if not better," Steve offered up a bit more of himself before placing another forkful in his mouth.

"Good." I smiled up at him thinking about the little tidbit he had slipped. 'When we had the extra money.' The words resounded in my mind while we ate in silence. So he grew up in the lower class. Is that what had made him choose his line of service? Keep the streets clean and try to provide for the less fortunate? I wanted to ask, but I didn't want to press the issue. I knew he had lost his parents and I knew how painful reliving memories of lost loved ones could be.

I was standing up to grab the dishes off the table when he shook his head at me, reaching his hand out for my plate. "You cooked, I'll clean."

"You are the guest, that's not how this works," I protested, I grabbed my plate from the table before he had a chance, running to the kitchen to rinse it off and place it in the dishwasher. After I had put the plate in its place he nudged my hip with his, pushing me out of the way so he could do the same. I rolled my eyes at him exaggeratedly before walking into the dining room to retrieve the leftovers. I made him a spare plate to take home with him and placed he rest in the refrigerator. Glancing out of the living room window, I could see that the sun was just about to set. I grabbed my keys off the counter and before taking Steve's hand and tugging him out into the hallway and locking the door behind me. I pulled him up the other two flights of stairs until we had reached the door to the roof.

"Jolene?" Steve's worried voice came from behind me as I pushed the door open and stepped out into the last bit of daylight.

"The sunset." I pointed over to the sun as it sank behind some buildings. The bright blue of the sky was beginning to be overtaken by the purples, pinks, oranges, and reds of the sunset. It was a beautiful sight on a normal night, but the view was different tonight. They say sunsets are always beautiful and each one is special, but the sunsets you share with someone special are always the best sunsets of all. I hadn't really understood that until the moment I looked over at Steve. His always glorious features were only intensified by the glow of the descending sun. His jawline was always sharp, but the shadow cast by the lighting made it look sharp enough to cut a diamond. His beautiful blue eyes were crystal clear as they watched the last of the sun dip below the buildings on the horizon.

"What?" Steve acknowledged before side eyeing me with a smirk.

"This all just seems so perfect…too perfect," I rambled, looking up at the darkening sky. "I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Nothing can be this perfect, at least not in my life." I laughed at myself.

"Then let's enjoy it before the shoe drops." Steve grabbed my hand lacing his fingers through mine giving me that heart-stopping crooked grin before turning to face me completely. "Can you sing that song we were listening to earlier?"

"Which one? The stereo was going the whole time tonight." I smiled, wondering what he was up to.

"The one we danced to in the kitchen. I liked the lyrics," Steve answered. I knew which one he was talking about and began to sing the words. Steve curled our entwined hands into his chest as he rested his other hand on my lower back, pulling me towards him and swaying with me again.

 _I'm so en-captured, got me wrapped up in your touchFeel so enamored, hold me tight within your clutchHow do you do it? You got me losing every breathWhat did you give me to make my heart bleed out my chest?  
I feel we're close enoughCould I lock in your love?I feel we're close enoughCould I lock in your love?  
Now I've got you in my spaceI won't let go of youGot you shackled in my embraceI'm latching on to you_  
As I finished the last lyric Steve released me, bringing his hands to my face and placing his lips on mine. His kiss was heartwarming and knee-weakening, full of passion but soft enough to yearn for more. "I cherish you. You are much more special than you realize, Jolene," Steve said as he pulled back, still keeping my face in his hands.

"Ditto," I replied breathlessly.

"Ditto?" Steve looked completely confused.

"From Ghost?" I chuckled as Steve dropped his hands to his own hips.

"Ghost?" Steve's eyebrow lifted and his face still held the confusion it had before.

"You've never seen the move Ghost?" I asked through a smile. Steve shrugged his shoulders in response before I grabbed his hand again and led him back to my apartment. I popped the movie into the player before sitting on the couch next to Steve. Steve wrapped an arm around me, letting me snuggle into his side as the movie started.


	6. Chapter 6

**Fever - Peggy Lee**

The sun shining into the room brightly woke me up slowly from the best sleep I had, had in a long while. Cracking my eyes, I realized I wasn't on my couch with Steve anymore, instead I was now in my bedroom, draped in my blankets while still wearing the clothes from the night before. I hadn't remembered falling asleep while watching the movie with Steve last night, but guessed I must have because I didn't remember the movie ending either. I sat up in my bed, stretching my arms out before letting out a less than ladylike yawn. I looked over at the alarm clock for the time, but finding one of the flowers Steve had brought me sitting on a note instead. I grabbed the flower, inhaling its wonderful scent before picking up the index card.

 **I hope you don't mind that I put you in bed. I didn't want you hurting from sleeping on the couch. See you tonight, sweetheart. Love, Steve**

I smiled to myself, sitting the note down on the nightstand before realizing where he had gotten the paper from. _Shit!_ I reached back over to the nightstand grabbing the stack of index cards on the other side of the flower. I really wanted to curse Caroline right now. She had made a list of conversation starting questions in an attempt to help me on my first date with Steve. There on each index card were the questions written in Caroline's handwriting and below were the answers to each question. I smiled to myself imagining Steve sitting on the edge of my bed writing the answer to each question as I slept.

What's your favorite place in the entire world? **Home**

Favorite movie of all time? Why so? **The Wizard of Oz. Do you really need a reason, it's The Wizard of Oz.**

What's your biggest goal in life right now? **Keeping the world a safe place.**

What is your favorite way to spend a Saturday? **Crossing things off in my notebook.**

Do you have any pet peeves? **Dishonesty and Bullies.**

What was your family like growing up? **Poor in wealth but rich in heart.**

What were you like as a kid? **Scrawny**

What should I know about you that I'd never think to ask about? **I like to draw in my spare time.**

Did you or do you have a nickname? What's the story behind it? **Cap, short for Captain.**

Have you figured out your calling in life? What is it? **Saving lives.**

What do you find attractive in a woman? **Strong willed, independent women who know what they want and aren't afraid to go after it.**

Fondest childhood memory? **The one time I got to go to work with my mother, she was a nurse. I guess you could say she influenced my need to save lives.**

Favorite dessert? **Not much for dessert but I like Jelly Beans  
**  
Where do you feel most relaxed? **Riding my motorcycle**

Do you like to travel? **I travel a lot for my job.**

Who's your ideal dinner guest? **You**

I couldn't help the smile that took over my face as I read the last card. I wondered to myself how I had happened to get so lucky finding Steve. He was everything a woman could ever want. I sat the cards down on the nightstand before grabbing my phone and heading out to the kitchen to get my cup of coffee before I hopped in the shower.

O.O

My phone rang for what seemed like the millionth time as I climbed out of my shower and wrapped myself in my towel.

"Hello?" I answered while I started squeezing my hair dry.

"About damn time you answer your phone!" Caroline's voice said sharply through the speaker.

"I was in the shower Car. What's up?" I placed my phone on the bed waiting for her voice to come through the speakerphone, but she didn't answer, "Car?"

"Just come open this damn door before I break it down. I've been waiting out here for like 45 freaking minutes. What the hell do you do in the shower that takes so long?" She snapped out, "You know what? I don't wanna know what you are doing in the shower."

"Be right there," I said before hanging up and tightening my towel around me.

"I've got breakfast and your dress," Caroline said as I opened the door and she barreled through. "Breakfast and details about your date in first, I'm starving." She sat the garment bag over the back of the couch before setting the bag on the table, pulling out two sausage and cheese biscuits. "So details woman!" She smiled at me as she handed me my sandwich.

"It was nice." I smiled before taking a bite.

"It was nice...That's all I'm going to get?" She said through a mouthful. "That's not details. That's a description...not the same thing. Spill it sister."

"He helped me cook dinner, he took his shirt off, things got a little hot and heavy, we ate dinner, watched the sunset from the roof, and then watched Ghost," I answered as quickly as I could, hoping she would be overwhelmed enough to not ask anything more.

"He took...his shirt off?" She asked, sitting her sandwich down on the table. "I need more." The look in her eyes was hungry for more answers.

"I was cleaning up and got flour all over his shirt," I emphasized, "He took it off and...God, Caroline...it's like he was like if God could've created perfection...it's definitely Steve." I looked away from her, looking off in the distance and daydreaming. "I couldn't help it. I...I had to touch him, to make sure he was real. He's definitely real...and packing some serious heat." I smiled before looking back at her and giggling. "I guess I fell asleep when we were watching the movie. I woke up in my bed with one of the flowers he had brought me and a sweet note." I smiled, "And he answered all of your index cards." I laughed. "He told me he wants to make love to me." I paused, "He said he was falling in love with me and that he wanted to wait for that right moment."

"I think I'm falling in love with Prince Charming too. Jesus, are you serious? Did this guy pop out of a fucking Disney book or something?" She said, shaking her head, "I'm happy for you, Joe. He's the kind of guy you deserve after all you've been through." She gave me a warm smile, "Now about tonight, when is he picking you up?"

O.O

Caroline had helped me get ready, giving my hair that old Hollywood style before letting me paint on my face. I kept it simple using only a bronze blush, lining my top lid with a winged end, mascara, and using my favorite red lipstick to finish my look.

"Joe, you look stunning," Caroline said, giving me a smile, "Let me go get the dress." Caroline rushed out of the room before returning with the long garment bag in hand. "Close your eyes." I tried to protest, but the puppy dog look she was giving me made me give in. I closed my eyes, getting excited as I heard the material of the bag rustle before Caroline told me I could open my eyes. The dress in front of me was almost as breathtaking as Steve himself. The dress looked like it had been draped in diamonds as it shimmered in the light of my bedroom.

"Oh, Car! That's stunning, but don't you think it's a bit much for a party like this?" I asked without looking at her. I stepped forward running my hand down the gray chiffon fabric. It was pleated and adorned with beautiful beads that sparkled like stars. The dress had a neckline that was full to the collarbone and the dress was sleeveless making me worry that the cool night air wouldn't allow such a dress to be worn.

"Jolene Katherine Smith! Are you questioning my judgment on this style choice?" Caroline gasped.

"I love it Car, I really do, but I don't want to be super overdressed." I expressed my concern as Caroline laid the dress down on the bed and walked over to me placing her hands on my arms.

"Look, if it was anything else I'd say no to the dress, but it's a Stark party. And if anything, Stark is a man of class and style, even if you are a tad overdressed it won't matter in a setting like that. I can guarantee no one will be wearing jeans or khakis to a party like that." Caroline's words calmed my rising fears and I let out a breath. "Now let's get you dressed. Prince Charming will be here any minute."

"Okay," I smiled, dropping my robe and exposing the black lace bra and underwear set.

"Joe, you may go to jail tonight for murdering a police officer. I mean you in this dress is going to be enough to take his breath away, but if he gets to what's underneath he is going to have a fucking heart attack," She said holding the dress out to me.

"Shut up and help me get this on." I chuckled. As I stepped into the dress I heard the knock on the door. Caroline ran out of the room, letting Steve in before returning to zip me up. She gave me a hug and wished me good luck before leaving me alone to put on my shoes and figure out something for a jacket. There was a light tap on the door as I grabbed my leather jacket from my closet.

I turned around to find Steve stepping through the door looking as dapper as ever. His hair was shorter, he was wearing a casual black suit with a white dress shirt and black tie. "Are you ready?" He asked before looking up at me. "Wow, Jolene," He said running his hand over his tie.

"Wow, yourself, Captain," I said giving him a wink. "This dress isn't too much, is it? I don't want to be overdressed. Caroline insisted this was acceptable, but I'm worried this may be a bit more than necessary."

"You are breathtaking Jolene," Steve breathed out as he crossed the room to stand in front of me. "Here," He took my jacket from my hand before walking around behind me and holding it for me to put on. "I don't mean to be rude or try to rush you, but Stark has a car ready downstairs."

"Let me just grab my purse." Steve gave me a nod before leaving my room to wait for me in the living room. I grabbed the small black clutch from my bed opening it and finding that Caroline had already placed my apartment key, lipstick, and cell phone in it. Before closing it, I saw the shine of a foil package and knew what it was before even looking. I closed my clutch with a chuckle before walking out into the living room to find Steve.

We walked down the stairs in a comfortable silence as I tried hard not to trip on my long gown. When we exited the complex I was stunned to find a limo waiting for us at the curb.

"Stark did this?" I asked, looking at Steve who nodded.

"He's got a thing about arriving in style," Steve smirked before rolling his eyes. Steve held open the door allowing me to climb inside before he slid into the seat next to me. I had never ridden in a limo before, but my first thought after watching the privacy partition go up between us and the driver was how much fun it would be if Steve and I were more physical. I didn't have much experience, but I wasn't a prude, I had read books that had included such fantasies inthem. "You are awfully quiet," Steve said, giving my hand a squeeze.

"Just nervous," I smiled before looking over at him, "I've never been to something like this before." I looked down fidgeting with the beads on my dress. "Plus, I'm meeting your coworkers and superheroes. What if they don't like me?"

Steve cupped my jaw with his other hand, turning my head to face him, "I'm sure they will love you." He leaned down, brushing his lips against mine before pulling back and giving me a knee-weakening smile. "Because I d..." His words were cut short by the stop of the car and the announcement of our arrival by our driver. "Come on, I'm sure Sam is chomping at the bit to get another dance." Steve gave me a wink before opening the door and holding out a hand to help me exit.

"Oh my God! This place is massive," I said as I looked up at the gigantic building. "I mean I knew it was big, but I've never been this up close and personal."

"It's a lot to take," Steve chuckled, "I always thought it was the ugliest building in the city, but it's growing on me."

We walked through the large double doors of the building and walked through the crisp and modern lobby, straight to the elevator. Steve pressed something on the touchscreen keypad before the doors closed. When the elevator began to move my nerves seemed to increase. I flexed my fingers that were laced through Steve's hoping he wasn't noticing my clammy palms. My body heat began to skyrocket and I wanted nothing more than to take my jacket off and step outside into the cool air again. I felt like the walls of the box we were in, closing in on me as we continued our ascent. I pulled my hair over to one side as the elevator stopped at its destination. The doors slid open, revealing a well-packed area. Steve gave my hand a squeeze before he started walking forward, me trailing behind him slightly as I tried to reign in my anxiety about the situation.

After stepping out of the elevator completely, Steve released my hand and stepped behind me. His hands slid up my arms, trying to calm me before reaching the collar of my jacket and pulling it off of my arms. "Just breathe," his soothing voice whispered in my ear, his hot breath caressing my skin as he spoke. He handed my jacket to a well-dressed young man who nodded his head.

"Marleen was just asking if you were going to bring her tonight or not," Sam's voice came from out left. I glanced over finding he and his beautiful girlfriend standing atop the small set of stairs that led up to a lounging area. The room for the party was larger than I had expected. The space consisted of what looked to be four separate sections, giving it the look of a studio loft apartment. The main floor held the musical entertainment which was currently a pianist and a microphone left unmanned. The second level where the familiar couple was located held the lounging area and also a pool table. The level above that was a smaller lounging area that overlooked what looked to be a helipad. The final level had a beautifully equipped bar and more lounging area. It was very apparent that Stark created this place specifically for events like this. Steve placed his hand on my lower back catching my attention from inspecting the room.

"You okay with all this?" Steve said to me, the look in his eyes on the verge of worry.

"Yeah, just had to take a second and look over this awesome space," I smiled at him. "Hi Sam," I said as we climbed the stairs up to where they were waiting. "Marleen, you look absolutely gorgeous!" I complimented her before giving her a hug. She looked stunning in her black lace cocktail dress that landed at her knees.

"Me? Are you kidding me? That dress is absolutely amazing!" Marleen smiled, holding my arms out so she could get a better look at the dress. "Where did you find that?"

"My friend Caroline found it. Honestly, I don't know where she found it. I do feel overdressed now that I'm looking at you." I chuckled nervously.

"No. You look like a vintage Hollywood star and from what Sam's been telling me, Steve seems to think you are quite the star." She gave me a wink making the heat rise in my cheeks.

"I've been told we have quite the talented singer in our presence tonight." A loud voice boomed through the speakers down by the pianist.

"Looks like Sam's been blabbing to Tony too," Marleen laughed.

"Jolene, would you mind gracing us with a song?" The voice announced making my heart race. The crowd that had been gathered on the lowest level parted like the Red Sea and there stood Moses, the one and only Tony Stark, hand extended towards where I stood cemented to the floor.

"I'm so sorry," Steve mumbled under his breath before turning to look at Stark and shaking his head.

"Oh, come on, Cap. You can't keep her all to yourself." Tony said before flashing a bright smile and locking eyes with me. My heart felt as though it might pound right out of my chest, but my feet and legs gathered themselves enough to take a few steps before Steve sped down the stairs to stand in front of me.

"You don't have to do this," he said, looking up at me.

"It's alright, one song won't hurt. Just promise me you'll stay standing next to Sam so I can see you," I replied as I stepped down from the last step. Steve gave me a nod before stepping aside and letting me journey the rest of the way alone. Tony gave me a grin before nodding his head and walking away, leaving me to speak with the pianist. After he was set with the song, his fingers graced the ivory keys with grace. 

_Never know how much I love you_  
 _Never know how much I care_  
 _When you put your arms around me_  
 _I get a fever that's so hard to bear_  
 _You give me fever when you kiss me_  
 _Fever when you hold me tight_  
 _Fever in the mornin'_  
 _A fever all through the night_

My eyes stayed trained on my handsome date as I sang each word.

 _Sun lights up the_ day time  
 _Moon lights up the night_  
 _I light up when you call my name_  
 _And you know I'm gonna treat you right_  
 _You give me fever when you kiss me_  
 _Fever when you hold me tight_  
 _Fever in the mornin'_  
 _A fever all through the night_

I watched as Tony walked over to Steve and gave him a pat on the back. Steve gave Tony a grin and a nod of his head before he trained his focus back on me.

 _Everybody's got the fever  
That is somethin' you all know  
Fever isn't such a new thing  
Fever started long time ago_

 _Romeo loved Juliet_  
 _Juliet, she felt the same_  
 _When he put his arms around her_  
 _He said, "Julie baby you're my flame"_  
 _Thou giveth fever when we kisseth_  
 _Fever with thy flaming youth_  
 _Fever I'm on fire_  
 _Fever yea I burn forsooth_

Steve stood there with his jacket hanging open, hands in his pockets with that crooked smile that made my heart flutter in my chest. Tony and Sam stood at his sides, both looking between Steve and I before they started talking to one another. It appeared as though Steve was ignoring them until he crossed his arms across his chest and shook his head, his smile fading for a split second as he looked at each of the men.

 _Captain Smith and Pocahontas_  
 _Had a very mad affair_  
 _When her daddy tried to kill him_  
 _She said "daddy oh don't you dare"_  
 _"He_ gives _me fever with his kisses"_  
 _"Fever when he holds me tight"_  
 _"Fever, I'm his misses"_  
 _"_ Daddy _, won't you treat him right?"_

I looked around the large crowd that had gathered along the railings of each level before looking back to Steve, but he was no longer there.

 _Now you've listened to my story  
Here's the point that I have made  
Chicks were born to give you fever  
Be it Fahrenheit or centigrade  
They give you fever when you kiss them  
Fever if you live and learn  
Fever till you sizzle  
What a lovely way to burn  
What a lovely way to burn  
What a lovely way to burn  
What a lovely way to burn_

As I ended the song I located Steve. He had moved from his spot and through the crowd that had gathered around the makeshift dance floor to wait for me when I was done singing. His smile had returned to his face when I spotted him. I took a bow for the guests that applauded me after I finished the song. The pianist began to play another song as I met Steve in the middle of the dance floor.

"That was quite the song," He smirked before grabbing my hand and placing his other on my lower back.

"I take it you enjoyed it?" I smiled back at him as we began to sway to the music.

"Very much so," Steve whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

"Noted," I whispered back, making Steve's hand on my back press me harder against him.

"Have I told you that you take my breath away?" Steve asked as he swayed us back and forth.

"You said I was breathtaking. Although you didn't specify whose breath I was taking, so..." I joked.

"Well, do you sing that for all your suitors?" Steve pulled back looking me in the eye, awaiting my answer.

"Only you." I smiled, making the grin on his face widen as a blush took over his cheeks. "Have you ever had someone sing just for you before?"

"Just my mother," Steve answered, hanging his head a little to look away.

"I'm sorry," I apologized while watching his jaw tighten slightly before he looked back up at me. "I know that pain, I didn't intend to do that." I leaned up pressing my lips lightly against his. Steve stopped swaying, focusing on my lips instead of the music as we lost ourselves in one another. I pulled back looking up at him as the music ended, giving him a shy smile before looking around at all the eyes that had focused on us.

"Let's go get a drink," Steve said before putting his arm out for me to hold. We walked up the stairs to the next level in search of one of the many bars in the establishment when Mr. Stark came up to us.

"So this is Miss America." He smiled, giving me a once-over before looking at Steve with a glimmer in his eyes.

"Stark," Steve spoke his name with a bit of warning to the tone.

"It's okay, Steve," I said, squeezing Steve's arm slightly. "Mr. Stark, It's lovely to meet you," I replied reaching my hand out to shake his. "I'm so sorry I'm overdressed, my friend said this would be appropriate, but you hit the nail on the head, I feel as though I should be at a pageant in this gown." I chuckled nervously.

"No need to apologize beautiful," He replied as he held my extended hand before pulling it up to his lips and placing a kiss to the back of my hand. "Please call me Tony," He said as he dropped my hand. "Your attire is fine, that's not why I called you th..."

"Tony," Steve's voice was harsh, cutting Tony off.

"Oh Cap, don't get your," Tony paused, looking at the look on Steve's face. "Are you serious?" Tony looked as shocked as he did confused. "Oh, wow. You know you need to..." Tony trailed off, looking at me for the briefest moment before looking back at Steve.

"I know." Steve sighed.

"Well, I'll leave you two lovebirds be. I've got some other guests to attend to and you two have some things you need to do." Tony said before starting to walk away. He stopped a few feet away looking back at us, "Jolene, your voice is that of an angel and you look like one as well. Our Captain here deserves an angel." Tony's face became soft as the words passed his lips before nodding his head and walking away.

"What's he talking about?" I asked, looking up at Steve, who was clenching and relaxing his jaw rapidly.

"Come, I want to show you something." Steve placed his hand on my lower back before leading me back down the stairs to the elevator. He pressed a few keys before the doors to the elevator closed and we started moving. When the doors opened there was a long corridor ahead. "This is the recreation floor," Steve said as he led me out of the elevator and down the corridor. The walls were glass, showing the contents to each room and the view of the city just beyond each one. "That's the gym," He pointed to the obvious, "The next room is a game room and at the end of the hall to the left is a cinema style movie room."

"A movie room?" I asked as we walked to the end of the hall.

"Yeah, you want to see it?" Steve said as he took a step ahead to grab the handle of the door of the one room with blacked out walls.

"We won't get in trouble?" I giggled.

"Nobody has to know." Steve gave me a wink as he opened the door. He flipped the switch on after following me through the door, the lights dimmed enough to emit a light glow in the room. The room had three levels of low couches that looked so plush it could swallow you if you sat down in them, the wall was covered with the largest TV I had ever seen and there was a small popcorn cart in the corner giving it the full blown movie theater feel.

I plopped myself down on the nearest couch feeling the cushions fold in around me, "Oh my gosh! These have got to be the most comfortable couches I've ever sat down on." I exclaimed. Steve stood in front of me, looking down and grinning with a light chuckle before I grabbed his hand and tugged him down to join me, "Come here." Steve righted himself next to me, putting his arm on the back of the couch and letting me cuddle into his side. "I'd love to stay here to snuggle all night and watch a movie."

"Maybe we can some other time," Steve said running his fingers lightly over my exposed arm. The touch felt so intimate and affectionate, making me squirm in my seat a little. I looked up at Steve as he continued to stroke my arm with the tips of his fingers. I brought my hand up to his cheek before sitting up just enough to press my lips to his. The kiss was brief but still as breathtaking as any other. "I need to show you something important," Steve said before giving me a peck on the forehead and standing up, extending his hand to help me up from the couch. Steve turned the light to the room off before exiting and leading me back down the hallway to the elevator.

"Access granted." A female voice spoke after he pressed a floor number and a series of other numbers after. When the elevator came to the desired floor and the doors opened, the hallway that was in front of us was much different from the one before. The hall was lined with dim lighting along dark blue walls that had a handful of shining silver doors.

"This is the living quarters," Steve told me as he stepped out of the elevator and waited for me to exit. He placed his hand on my back again as we walked down the hall until we reached a door about halfway down the hallway. Steve stopped, turning towards the door and punching a code into the numerical pad above the handle. I heard the lock unlatch on the door and Steve pushed it open.

"How do you know all of these codes for these secret places?" I asked as I followed him into the room. He turned on the lights and I had to fight to shock from overtaking me vocally. "Steve, I don't think we are supposed to be in here. This is someone's room." I said nervously.

"It's my room." His words caught me off guard as I turned around to look at him in disbelief.

"So you work for Stark or something?" I asked, turning around from him and looking out the large open view of the city through the four pane, ceiling to floor, windows.

"Kinda," He replied.

"I thought you were a police officer, but now you're telling me you work here," I spoke to myself as I looked over the city. I was trying to connect dots, make sense of all of this, but I kept coming up blank. Something about the situation was making me uneasy, feeling as though I really didn't know the man I had been dating for months now. My stomach dropped as I heard him walking around the room, wondering if he was going to try to make a move on me since there was a bed at our disposal only feet away.

"Jolene, I've been keeping something from you and I'm sorry for that. I've been selfish in doing so. I just didn't want you looking at me any differently than you already do." His voice wasn't as strong as I was used to, it was almost timid as he continued to speak. My stomach dropped again as the realization hit me that he could be lying to me now, we could be in a complete stranger's room, he could be a hacker or thief and I could be an accomplice in his crime. Crimecommiter, something completely different from my initial understanding of the man in the room with me. "I'm not a police officer. I do work here, but I don't really work for Stark. I kind of see it as I work for the world." I turned around wanting to look at him, the liar I hadn't expected him to be. Indeed, the other shoe had dropped just like it always did, but this shoe seemed so much bigger than any had been in past relationships. I looked at Steve, he had taken off his jacket which was now lying at the foot of the bed he was standing next to. His sleeves had been pushed up and his tie had been removed, but his face was that of worry not relaxation. I was dropping my gaze as something caught my eye, a large shining disc propped against the wall behind him. There was no mistaking the object and panic flooded my body as I realized what exactly was happening here. I looked back at Steve, who was turning his head back to look at me, he had seen me find the shield, "Please Jolene, just let me explain."

"You...you're Captain America." My voice was as unsteady as my legs felt as I shifted from foot to foot trying to process everything.

"I am." Steve pushed his hands into his pants pockets, dropping his head and looking up at me through his lashes like a scolded child.

"Why?... I mean how...how did I not put this all together?" I asked myself as I began to pace back and forth in front of him. "You told me you were a Captain." I chuckled nervously at myself, at my stupidity, my naivety. "Rogers is your last name isn't it?" I stopped my anxious pacing to look at him. He answered my question with a nod before opening his mouth to speak. "I am such an idiot." I cut him off. "What, was I some kind of mission or something? Am I a bet from one of your super friends? Let's see how long it takes her to figure it out?" I began rambling aloud. Every sense in my body was working on overload and he touched me breaking me from my trance. I looked up into his blue eyes, his brows furrowed together in worry as he tried to grasp my thoughts through my face. "I...I need some air." I dropped my gaze, pushing past him and out of the door. I didn't know what floor I needed to head to or where I was going as I entered the elevator. I hit numbers of floors until it allowed me to select without a code. I leaned myself back against the elevator wall, looking out of the closing elevator doors and seeing Steve standing in the hallway, defeat etched in every plane of his face.

O.O

"Jack and coke please." I told the sharp dressed bartender, "Actually can I have a side of Jack as well. I mean a shot."

"Sure thing, Ma'am." The young man replied.

"How are you doing? Where's Steve?" Marleen asked as she sat down in the chair next to me.

"I'm not sure where Steve is, he was in his room the last I seen," I answered without enthusiasm.

"Uh oh, I sense something has gone awry," She replied before taking a sip of her martini.

"How long have you and Sam been dating?" I asked as the bartender sat my drinks down in front of me.

"Almost a year, why?"

"When did he tell you exactly what he did?" I picked up my shot, slamming it to the back of my throat and enjoying the burn as it made it's way down.

"I think we'd been dating a month. We had a nice dinner at my place and things were getting...further than just kissing. He said he had to be honest with me about everything before we took things too far." She took another sip of her drink before setting it down, "He said he needed to know I was comfortable with the situations he would be putting himself in, just in case he didn't come home one time. It definitely dampened the mood, but I was grateful he told me to be honest. Is that what this is about?" She motioned to my empty shot glass and mixed drink.

"I just found out. We've been dating for two months now. I just don't understand why he would keep something like that from me. I mean it explains why he went two weeks without talking to me that one time, but still." I took a sip of my drink before adding, "And I don't understand how I was so blinded. Did you know I never even asked his last name?" I scoffed at myself. "Who does that?"

"Love can make you do silly things. Do you love him?" She asked with raised eyebrows and a tilt of her head.

"If you would've asked me that before I knew I would've told you yes. Now, I don't know. I don't know if who I fell in love with and Captain America are the same person." My heart ached in my chest as I thought through the past few months, trying to decipher where the truth was held and where the lies laid.

"Do you mind if I steal my lady away for a dance?" Sam's voice cheerfully interrupted. I shook my head as I swallowed a mouthful of booze. Marleen gave me a smile before telling me if I needed to, sliding me a napkin with her phone number. I gave her a small smile before grabbing the napkin and my drink. I wandered around for a few minutes, getting stares from a few people, which I was sure of my overdressed nature. I finally found the exit to the balcony which overlooked what looked like a small flight deck. I rested against the railing as I watched the city lights flicker and live continue as normal around us. Life, that was all precious, life that Steve was fighting to keep safe. I didn't know why I was being so hesitant to everything. My first issue was the fact that he hadn't told me, but even if he wasn't a cop, he really was doing the exact same thing. He was putting his life on the line for others to keep theirs. If I was okay with that why did this bigger position make me more nervous? My second issue was I wasn't sure who I had fallen in love with. He seemed so normal, well, maybe not so normal. He was extraordinary actually. He was unlike any man I had ever met. He was thoughtful without even trying, so good-hearted, caring, all while being extremely gorgeous but notcocky. The man was beautiful beyond belief, but seemed more like an ugly duckling unbelieving of its swan exterior. His beauty may have shown on the outside, but the beauty that was housed on the inside was far more handsome. He was so awkward sometimes, something I couldn't imagine one of the world's mightiest heroes being.

"This is quite the view isn't it?" A unique accent asked from behind me.

"It is," I answered without looking.

"May I ask why you are out here alone? You aren't planning on jumping or anything are you?" The deep sultry voice asked.

"I'm not suicidal if that's what you are getting at," I answered, unphased.

"Good." His answer was short, but his presence was still felt as he stood behind me. I turned around finding him much further away than I had expected.

"You don't sound like you're from around here. I'm Jolene." I said, extending my hand.

"Thor," He answered, shaking my hand lightly. "So you are the lovely lady that has stolen the Captain's heart?"

"I wouldn't say that, but we have been dating." I gave him a small smile before turning around and enjoying the view some more.

"Well, my friend would definitely argue that you have." He stepped up to the railing next to me, pulling a flask from his breast pocket and taking a sip.

"What's that?" I gestured to the object in his hand.

"It is not made for mortals. I assure you, you wouldn't be able to handle such a potent liquor." Thor replied with a chuckle. "You should have seen a few of the older gentlemen who tried it last time." The tall man let out a hearty laugh making his large frame shake. "Let's get you a mortal drink. It seems you are running empty." He gestured to my nearly empty glass in my hand before putting his arm out for me to take. I wrapped my arm around his large bicep, unbelieving that I was actually talking to an immortal God. I knew of the Avengers, but didn't bother much with any of the hype, but being within their midst was actually mind blowing. The situation had all been so exciting when I had first arrived with Steve, just a normal day crime fighter for the police, being a part of a party of superheroes, rubbing elbows with the Worlds Mightiest Heroes. Then why was it so god damned different now that I had found out Steve's true identity? I wasn't just rubbing elbows with these protectors of the world, I was far more a part of their world than I had realized. I was dating a defender of mankind, a guardian of the world, and to some that would be all fine and dandy, exciting even, but for me, it was actually terrifying. I had seen soldiers return from war in boxes draped with our spangled flag, friends' parents even, the fact was the man I had fallen in love with was not just a crime fighter but a soldier draped in the same red, white, and blue. But Steve wasn't even a regular soldier, he was a super soldier, fighting things far more dangerous than terrorists or Nazis. The threat of losing him was even higher than it was when I believe he was only an ordinary cop.

"Another Jack and Coke ma'am?" The same bartender from before asked. I gave him a nod of my head before looking back at Thor who was in an intense debate with Tony.

"I haven't seen Rogers all night, seems kind of odd." The female voice was familiar and grabbed my attention making me turn in my chair.

"Natalie?" I whispered in shock as I looked at the red headed beauty sitting next to me.

"Jolene! What are you doing here?" She asked, turning in her chair to face me.

"I could ask you the same thing," I said as the bartender sat my drink down.

"I asked first." Her tone dropped an octave as she looked around the room quickly.

"I came here with that guy Steve, Caroline was telling you about the other day. When did you get back in town? You didn't come back to the apartment." I asked, utterly confused as to why she was here and how she had gotten here and not came home to get ready for the party.

"Well, you see I..." Natalie began to reply before being cut off.

"Natasha!" A man's voice shouted through the music taking over the large room, making Natalie turn her head towards where the voice had come from. "Laura just called. Nathaniel is running a fever so I'm going to take off. Tell Stark I had to borrow the quinjet." The light brown haired man spoke as he approached Natalie.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Natalie asked.

"And have you leave this party?" He chuckled. "Just let Stark know for me, please," He said again before he turned to leave.

"Keep me updated on my Godson, Barton," Natalie said before turning to look back at me.

"Natasha?" My already reeling mind was in overdrive trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

"Yeah." Natalie, Natasha, or whoever her damn name was, nodded.

"I thought your name was Natalie," I spoke before grabbing my drink from off the bar top.

"It's an alias name. I've got a few." She spoke softly, controlled as I raised an eyebrow for her to continue. "The apartment is my home away from here. It gets to be much with all the testosterone running around here."

"So I take it you aren't a flight attendant." I looked around the room and then back at her.

"You'd be correct in guessing that," She said before sealing her ruby red lips tightly in a sympathetic smirk.

"Is any of my life not full with lies?" I scoffed before downing my drink with a few gulps. "So exactly who are you?"

"Natasha Romanoff, Master Assassin and part of The Avengers," She said crossing her arms in front of her and leaning back in her chair. "To be honest with you, my alias isn't just to keep my identity hidden from you, but also to save you." She paused looking around the room. "You see we are well loved her,e but there are many people that would love to have our heads and they'll do anything they can to do just that. Including coming after us through friends and family. And seeing I have no family, friends would have to do."

"So what you are telling me is lying isn't hurtful or deceitful, but solely for my own good?" Little white lies were never meant to be hurtful, but trusting someone only to be told they were someone they are not, that wasn't a little white lie. "When it comes to this, yes," She answered matter-of-factly. "I don't buy that. You may be a hero, but you are still actual people." I started. "Not Thor." She interrupted me. "Thor's never lied to me." I snapped at her. "Well, a worthy man can't lie," She smirked.

"She does have a point," Thor said from over my shoulder, catching me off guard and making me jump a little in my seat.

"I just wish people could be upfront and honest, is that too much to ask for?" I grumbled before turning in my chair and signaling the bartender for another drink.

"For some reason I have a feeling that this isn't just about me," Natasha said leaning forward a bit.

"This is exactly why I have one friend. Caroline has never once given me a reason not to trust her." I mumbled under my breath to myself.

"What's going on Joe? Where is this mystery man you came here with?" Natasha asked as the bartender replenished my drink.

"That mystery man is exactly that to me now. A mystery. You probably know more about him than I do." I replied after taking a large gulp of my mixed drink.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, my date Steve is none other than Captain America," I answered. "I thought I knew him so well."

"Oh, that Steve!" She chuckled, "That would explain why that permanent scowl has been replaced with a slight grin at all times." She looked at me to speak again before she placed the puzzle pieces together. "He's the one that lied to you."

"Ding, Ding. We've got a winner folks." I mumbled with an eye roll. "You did too, by the way."

"Yet here you are sitting here talking to me which tells me that my lying doesn't bother you as much as his." She asked before taking a sip of her drink. "I just don't understand why he would lie to me about who he is." I answered, playing with the small straw in my drink. "He did tell you his name was Steve. So technically, he didn't lie about who he was." She pointed out. "Well, he wasn't totally honest about his job." I told her. "What did he say he did for a living?" She asked before finishing off her drink and gesturing to the bartender for another. "He told me he protected and served. Basically, he told me he was a cop." I scoffed. "That's an obvious lie."

"Jolene, he did not tell you he was a cop, you assumed that. He was giving you the clues to figure it out yourself. Do you watch the news? Read the newspaper? Anything?" She asked me. "No." I shrugged my shoulders before looking over at her. "That's not his fault." She shook her head before letting out a chuckle. "He's a well known man. All of his laundry has been aired for so long he probably figured you'd figure it all out on your own if you hadn't already." The bartender sat her new drink down and she picked it up, taking a sip before speaking again, "There is one thing I've noticed about Steve in my time working with him. He doesn't lie, he's a very truthful man. So as much as you hate him for not coming out with the facts up front, he's probably hating himself just as much if not more." She shrugged her shoulders before looking around the room again and stopping when her eyes caught something. "There had to have been a reason he omitted them, be it for his own personal reasons or for your safety, it had to have been something that seemed logical to him in the moment." "He said it was for selfish reasons," I answered her. "Well, just know he's kicking himself right now." She added, "He standing over there," she gestured with a tilt of her head, "looking like a scolded puppy. It's obvious he's as distraught over this as you are." I looked over my shoulder, seeing him in fact, standing in a corner, surrounded by people who were talking animatedly with laughs and smiles, while Steve looked down at his drink, swirling it around and ignoring the world. My eyes stayed on him, watching him and letting the ache in my heart take hold. He looked up, his eyes locking with mine and allowing me to read into his soul like they always had. He was distraught like Natasha had said, full of heartache and remorse for what he had done, but just beyond that lay the wanting that had been there since our first night, that same look of secret adoration that he had when he said goodnight after walking me home. I dropped my gaze, the ache in my heart growing to be too much to handle. "You can see it, can't you?" Natasha said as she leaned back in her chair. I nodded, giving her a grin and I could feel the tears beginning to brim in my eyes. "It's just hard to have something feel so real and then have it ripped away in a moment. How do you fix a relationship when they've broken your trust?" I said, looking up at the ceiling trying to fight against the pain and tears.

"I can't really answer that for you. I understand that feeling of betrayal more than you know," She said with a shake of her head. "Do you know the big green guy?" I nodded, "Banner is a good man, heart of gold that one has, I fell for him...and then he just...disappeared. He knew how I felt and he just ran." My already aching heart broke for her as she looked absent-mindedly off in the distance as she spoke before looking back at me. "But I can honestly tell you, if and when he comes back, yes I'll be extremely mad at him, and I'll make sure he knows it, but I'd give him the chance to make it up to me." She gave me a weak smile before taking a sip of her drink and looking back at me, "We love who we love, it sucks, but the heart wants what it wants." "You can say that again." I smiled back at her before finishing off my drink. "Let's get drunk." Natasha said, giving me a devious grin, "And I'm looking at something that would do just that for us." I followed her line of sight to see the flask Thor had been sipping on earlier. "He said.." I began before being cut off. "Oh screw what he said." She said, leaning over me and grabbing the flask. "Cheers to getting over this pain," She said, opening the flask and lifting it up a little bit before placing it to her lips and taking a sip. She pulled back with a frightful expression on her face before handing me the flask. "Oh my god that is potent as hell." I shrugged my shoulders before taking a sip myself. The liquid was cool which was surprising since I had seen it was housed against Thor's body which should have surely warmed it. Natasha was in fact correct, it was very strong and I could feel the burn of the liquid as it made its way through my body. "Oh no ladies," Thor's voice boomed as he grabbed the flask from my hand, which earned a laugh from Natasha, making me giggle as well. Tony's live entertainment had left, being replaced with a DJ, Natasha gave me a smile before grabbing my hand and tugging me through the crowded space to the dance floor, where we stayed for what seemed like the rest of the night.


	7. Chapter 7

**Never Say Never - The Fray**

The sunlight shining behind my eyelids stung, warning me of the pain that would assault me when opening my eyes. I kept my lids closed as I untangled myself from the sheets wrapped around my legs. My muscles ached as I moved around, pushing the sheets from my overheated body. I groaned and grunted as I stretched out, feeling the sting of pain shoot up through my legs to my shoulders and down my arms. I rolled over in the plush bed to face away from the bright light of the day, allowing my eyes to adjust to light slowly. That plan fell to pieces the moment my eyes opened and realized I was not in my own room. My eyes instantly fell on the silver star surrounded by red, silver and blue. My eyes widened in shock as they frantically searched the room.

"Are you going to throw up again?" His voice was low, weak and broken, nothing like the strong voice I was used to.

"Excuse me?" I said sitting up quickly and pulling the sheet up to my chest. It was only then that I realized I was no longer wearing my dress but was dressed in his once crisp white dress shirt.

"You got sick last night. Thor said you and Nat stole some of his booze last night." Steve said, his head resting against the back of the chair he was sitting in. "I'm sure you are nursing quite the hangover off that stuff. I've seen how that stuff works, I would've warned you against it. But I'm sure Nat was being a bad influence."

"Did we…" I left the words hanging at the end of my tongue, unable to finish the question and hoping he would understand.

"What?" Steve sat up, opening his eyes and looking at me for the first time. His eyes were rimmed in red as if he had been crying or hadn't slept. "Oh, Absolutely not. I wouldn't have taken advantage of you like that, Jolene. I thought you knew me better than that."

"Well, I thought I did too." I snapped at him causing a sharp pain to shoot through my head. I rubbed my temples trying to ease the pain, "Did you undress me last night?"

"Pepper did. She got you some of Nat's clothes to change into, too," he pointed to the chair across the table from him as he stood up from his chair. "Look, Jolene, can we please talk about all this?"

"Not right now," I replied quickly as I pulled the sheet back and slid from the bed. I walked over to the chair holding the clothes, "Do you mind if I use your bathroom before I go?"

"Jolene, please let me explain," Steve said lightly grasping my wrist, making me look up at him. "I didn't like hiding this from you." He let go of my wrist after I turned to face him. "I mean I did, but..." He trailed off looking down at the floor.

"Steve...Captain America...Mr. Rogers...whatever your name is," I began.

"Steve," He said looking up at me quickly with sad eyes. "Please call me Steve." He took a step forward towards me, one long stride and he was only an inch away from me. His hands lifted timidly, visibly shaking as he cupped my face with both of his hands. "Please don't stop calling me that. I want to be him for you." His hands were so warm against my skin causing my body to betray my anger towards him and his lies. "Please." His voice was a whisper, his breath fanning over my lips as his inched towards mine. My body was begging for him to close the distance, my heart pounding so hard I was afraid it was trying to escape my body to get closer to him, but my head screaming at me to tell him to stop. His lips had barely pressed against mine before my hands came up to his chest, gripping his dark blue shirt in my hands before pushing him away lightly.

"I can't do this right now." Panic flooded my system as my mind raced with the events of last night, the revelations and secrets exposing themselves to me all over again. I grabbed the clothes waiting in the chair for me before running to the bathroom.

I turned to close the door behind me and found Steve standing there where I had left him, hands running through his hair and over his face as he mumbled to himself, "You blew it, Rogers." He placed his relaxed hands on his hips before looking up and catching me staring. "Jolene, please." He reached out to me weakly. I slammed the door quickly, locking it behind me before turning on the shower to disguise my sobbing. I let the tears fall as I leaned against the bathroom counter and sank to the floor. I was broken and falling victim to an inner battle between my heart and my mind. One was willing to give him the chance to explain, the other wasn't so forgiving. I wiped my tears, picking myself off of the floor and getting into the shower.

The shower had helped to relax my aching body, but the massive headache I had was still roaring loudly. After drying myself off I put on the black leggings, oversized white t-shirt, and red converses before opening the bathroom door and finding Steve sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. "My heart is in chaos." My voice startled him causing him to stand up quickly from the bed. "My brain's defensive thinking and my heart's desire are having a war over you," I told him as I grabbed my dress from the hanger and walked towards the door. I turned around just before I made it to the door finding him taking a step towards me, "Don't." I held my hand up in front of me.

"But Jolene," His eyes held a look of defeat and his shoulders sagged forward a sadness poured over his every feature causing my heart to break a little more.

"I just need some time to process all of this." I reached back putting my hand on the door handle. "This is a lot for someone to take. I mean who you really are and knowing everything I know about you is a lie is a lot to try to process. I just need some time."

"Jolene," He tried to plead one more time.

I opened the door taking a step past it and looking back at him one more time. "Steve." My voice wavered slightly as I tried to hold strong onto my resolve. I dropped my eyes, walking out into the hallway and back to the elevator in search for my jacket and purse from the night before.

O.O

"Walk of shame huh?" Caroline said from my couch.

"I see you remembered your spare key before coming over today," I replied as I sat my belongings down on my dining table.

"That's beside the point. You are just now getting back from your party with Prince Charming which means you had a sleep over. I need details!" She said getting off of the couch and walking into the kitchen with me.

"Nothing happened Car." I huffed out as I popped a couple of painkillers. My head was still throbbing and I knew I wasn't going to be getting out of this interrogation anytime soon.

"Wait, he put the breaks on again?!" She sighed.

"There were no breaks to push," I replied as I poured myself a cup of coffee.

"What happened?" She said stepping up beside me and giving me a sympathetic look.

"He's not a cop," I answered her, taking a sip of my coffee and heading over to sit down on the couch.

"And that's a problem why?" She poured herself a cup of coffee before sitting down next to me. "You weren't dating him because he was a cop, so I'm not sure why that's a big deal."

"Well, yeah." I shrugged my shoulders.

"So he isn't a Captain. What's the big deal?" She sat her cup down on the table, pulling her knees up to her chest like she was settling in for storytime.

"Oh, he's a Captain. THE Captain to be precise." I raised an eyebrow looking at her over my coffee cup.

"Ummmm...So he's a Captain but he's not a cop...Okay, spit it out, Joe. You know I'm no good at guessing games." She gestured with her hands for me to continue and I let out another sigh.

"Steve's last name is Rogers. As in Steve Rogers, Captain America." I watched her as she processed the words I spoke.

"You are dating...Captain America?" She remained calm as the words came from her lips, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Yep," I said, accentuating the P at the end with a pop of my lips.

"Wow," She picked up her coffee taking a sip and holding the cup in her hands before speaking again, "I mean that means you are dating a superhero, Joe." I wasn't sure how she was keeping her composure so well as she calmly spoke. "Wait, that makes him super old. Joe, you are dating a 95-year-old man."

"That's what you are taking from this bomb that was just dropped on my love life?" I chuckled. Leave it to Caroline to take my mind to something completely different.

"I'm just thinking out loud here, but I mean if he's old maybe he's got a "problem" when it comes to the bedroom and that's what he is so hesitant," She said with a cocky grin and tilt of her head before taking another sip of her coffee.

"Oh my God Car!" I was full on laughing.

"Well, they say the odds are between fifteen and twenty-five percent in men over sixty-five. That's a big problem." She smiled.

"Well, there is a bigger issue here, like how in the hell I didn't realize it sooner or the fact that he never told me. He honestly let me believe he was a cop!" I told her, all joking set aside.

"I didn't recognize him either. But it's not like he's been stomping around your apartment or the bar in his uniform either." She laughed. "Did he tell you he was a cop?"

"Well, no. Not exactly." I shrugged my shoulders.

"What did he say his job was?" She sat her empty cup down on the table and adjusted her sitting position.

"He said his job was to protect and serve," I answered honestly.

"Well, technically he does. He didn't say he was a cop, you just assumed that. And if I'm being completely honest here, you have a tendency to assume a lot in most situations." She said leaning back into the cushions.

"Ouch," I mocked pain.

"What? You know it's true!" She raised her eyebrows challenging me. She was right and I knew it. I couldn't be mad at Steve for his lack of honesty. I hadn't really pushed him to come completely clean about much of anything. If I was honest with myself, I really wanted to know everything about Steve but had settled with little because I hated the distant and painful look he got in his eyes when I would ask about his life. The man was perfect in every aspect a person could be which made me wonder why he always looked sad when he would talk about the past, but that all made much more sense now. I didn't follow the news and wasn't really intrigued by history much either. I do remember learning of Steve Rogers in passing during History class in high school when we were learning of one of the World Wars. I remember my teacher rambling on about this super soldier that sacrificed himself for our country. I didn't find it very interesting for one soldier to be mentioned when there were still men and women that gave their life every day right now. I had remembered my Grandma speaking of the honorable Captain Rogers as well, but I would've never dreamed to have met the man myself. "So is that the only thing that's bothering you about all this? That he wasn't completely honest about his job?" Caroline's voice shook me from my thoughts.

"Well I mean, how do I know all of the bonding we did, the guy I fell for wasn't a lie? What are the truths in this situation?" I asked with a shrug of my shoulders.

"That's something you'd have to discuss with him. He's going to be the only one with those answers. Do you want a refill?" She stood up from the couch extending her hand to me for my cup.

"Yeah, thanks." I handed her my cup.

"So why aren't you asking him these questions?" Car asked as she handed me back my cup after getting more coffee.

"It's hard to be in the same room with him right now. My mind is telling me it's time to put an end to this before I get hurt. But my heart is saying screw it all, love him anyways, forget about the broken trust." I answered her.

"And that's a bad thing how?" She said before taking a sip.

"Because my head wants answers to those questions, wants to listen to him explain it, wants to understand him. But my heart doesn't give a shit. My heart wants me to kiss him and make it all go away, forget there was a crack in my trust." I snorted. "I can't stand to be in the same room with him because I want to maul his ass." I laughed.

"Well, there are these things called cell phones that can help you with the whole 'can't be in the same room with him' thing." She smiled.

"I just need some time to process all of this. I need to grasp the fact that I have feelings for someone that is put in more dangerous situations. I'm just trying to process that I've been dating a fucking superhero for the past couple of months." I said with a shake of my head.

"Here let me process that for you," She said sitting both of our coffee cups on the table before grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me. "You are dating a fucking superhero. Not many people can say that. Like that's a super awesome thing and he's an awesome guy. Not really a lot to process here... Prince Charming doesn't wear armor or wield a sword. He wears stars and stripes and defends the world with brute strength and a shield. Your Prince Charming isn't only sweet, he's a fucking badass." She said with a wide smile.

O.O

I took the next three days off from work. I had a lot to process and things I needed to get done around the house. I was working on loading the dishwasher when there was a knock at the door. I opened the door to find no one but a box and bouquet of roses. I looked around in the hallway to see if I could find who I was sure to be Steve, but he was nowhere to be seen. I grabbed the box and flowers, bringing them in and setting them on the kitchen counter before returning to finish my chore. The box was small and long and my first thought was that it was a necklace or bracelet, but I was proven wrong when I opened the box after finishing the dishes. There sitting in the long white box were dog tags, Steve's dog tags. As I picked up the silver metal, finding a note that was laying underneath.

 _Jolene,_

 _I'm sorry I wasn't honest about my real job. I left you to assume what you wanted and that wasn't really fair to you. I wasn't trying to hide my true self from you. If anything, you made me remember who I used to be, who I was before I became Captain America, the little guy that wore these tags. Everything we shared was real and I want the chance to prove that to you, a chance to explain my actions. Please._

 _Love,_

 _Steve_

I looked at the tags in my hand running my thumb over the printed name and numbers and imagining a younger version of Steve wearing them. The image made me smile, a young man unsure of what he was signing up for but ready to lay his life down for his country in hopes of making the world a better place. I was sure he would still be just as handsome as he is now but where the sadness and reserve he held in his eyes now, was replaced with hope and eagerness. I placed the tags back in the box along with the note before putting the roses in a vase with some water. I was about to reach for my phone to send him a text when it pinged with a message.

 **Miss you. - S**

My heart swelled in my chest as I read the message over again. Two simple words that were sure to have been meant to mean so much more. I was about to reply when my phone began to ring with a random number on the screen.

"Hello?" I answered hesitantly.

"Jolene?" The male voice said from the other end of the line.

"Yeah." The voice was familiar but from where I wasn't sure.

"Hey, It's Gibson. I just wanted to call you and let you know that Caroline is in the hospital. She's okay. She got really sick last night and was having bad stomach pain. She started throwing up blood a little while ago so we brought her to the ER. They said she's got an ulcer." He informed me.

"I'm on my way. What room is she in?" I said as I ran around my apartment gathering my things.

"We're on the fifth floor in room 506."

"Okay, I'll be there soon. Thanks for letting me know Gib." I said as I grabbed my purse and keys.

"See you soon. Be careful, it looks like it's about to storm." Gibson said before we said our goodbyes.

O.O

"Car!" I exclaimed when I walked into the door. "Do they know what caused it?" I asked Gib as I sat on the edge of the hospital bed.

"I'm alright, Joe. They said I had some infection. Would explain the stomach pain I've had over the past week." She said as she adjusted herself on the bed. "They are going to release me after they get me fully hydrated. I've got a list of medication I'll be taking for a while and I've got a check up scheduled with my doctor next week to check on it."

"Don't scare me like that again! You need to start taking better care of yourself. I can't lose you, you know that." I scolded her.

"Don't worry, you're stuck with me for a while." She smiled weakly. "Have you talked to Steve yet?"

"Oh yeah, when you do tell him I'm a huge fan," Gibson gives me a bright smile.

"Can you stop being a fanboy for a minute and leave the grown ups to talk?" Caroline said giving Gibson a dirty look.

"You want something to drink, Jolene?" He asked me as he stood up from his chair.

"A Coke." I replied before he left the room. "I haven't talked to him yet. I was actually going to attempt to today, but then Gibson called and I ran right here."

"He has the worst timing I swear!" Caroline grumbled. "Text him now."

"I don't know what to say. He texted me telling me he missed me and I miss him too. I just don't think saying that back is what he wants to hear." I explained.

"What do you think he wants to hear?" She asked as she drank some water.

"I don't really know. I'm sure he wants to hear that I am ready to see him, but I'm not. Not yet. I still need to know why he did what he did." I rubbed my hands over my face in frustration.

"Well tell him that." She gestured to my phone sitting on the bed. "You won't know the answers unless you talk to him, Joe."

"I know." I sighed. I picked up my phone, looking at his message and trying to figure out the best way to put what I was feeling into words.

 **I miss you too. I just don't think I can see you right now. I need to know why you didn't just come clean off the bat. - J**

I pressed send before I could second guess myself. I reread my message a few more times hoping he didn't read it as me being bitchy. I really wasn't mad at him anymore, I was mad at the situation I had found myself in.

 **I liked feeling like I was normal for once. For once someone looked at me as Steve instead of Captain America. - S**

My heart broke for him the moment I read the text. I could understand why he would want me to get to know him at first as a normal man, but we had been dating for a while now and if i was honest with myself, I had fallen for him after that second night of him walking me home. He could've easily came clean about his identity on the first or second date and I would've accepted things for how they were. But that didn't matter now, what mattered is that I was going to have to get to know this man all over again, seeing if the person I had fallen for was still the same person once the secrets were revealed. I sat my phone down on the bed not really knowing how to respond to his reply. Gibson chose that moment to come back into the room, saving me from further Steve discussion with Caroline.

"I'm going to go. I have to go grocery shopping. I really just came up here to check on you and see if everything was as good as Gib said, seems so. Call me later Car when you get home. If you need anything at all, just let me know. You know I'll be there as fast as I can." I said as I stood up from the bed and grabbed my phone.

"Jolene, promise me you'll talk to him." Car said as I began walking to the door causing me to turn around and look at her. I gave her a nod of my head with a small smile before she spoke again, "Good, I don't want to see you let go of a good thing. I've never seen you so happy and I want that for you."

I walked back over to the side of her head, giving her a hug, "Thanks Car. Love you." I whispered as I held her tight.

"Love you too. Now go get your Prince Charming." She smiled.

O.O

I tuned the world out as I walked home from the grocery store with my headphones in.

 _Some things we don't talk about_

 _Rather do without_

 _And just hold the smile_

 _Falling in and out of love_

 _Ashamed and proud of_

 _Together all the while_

 _You can never say never_

 _While we don't know when_

 _But time and time again_

 _Younger now than we were before_

 _Don't let me go_

 _Don't let me go_

 _Don't let me go_

The lyrics spoke to me as though they had been written for me to hear, to see a different point of view.

 _Picture, you're the queen of everything_

 _As far as the eye can see_

 _Under your command_

 _I will be your guardian_

 _When all is crumbling_

 _I steady your hand_

 _You can never say never_

 _While we don't know when_

 _Time, time, time again_

 _Younger now than we were before_

 _Don't let me go_

 _Don't let me go_

 _Don't let me go_

I sang along as I finished my walk home, my mind going to Steve. Once I got to my apartment I put away my purchases and was about to make myself something to eat for an early lunch when my front door opened. Natasha walked in sitting a box on the counter along with two cups of coffee.

"Hey," She said as she pushed herself up to sit down on the counter.

"Hey," I replied as I pulled some lunchmeat from the fridge.

"I brought you some muffins. I figured we could hang out for a little bit, get to know one another again." She said as she held out a cup of coffee to me.

My eyes landed on the logo making me smile a bit, "Banana nut muffins?"

"How'd you know?" She gave me a confused look.

"Steve sent you didn't he?" I chuckled.

"Not really. He told me about the coffee and muffins, but I swear it was my idea to come here. To be honest, it's depressing watching him mope around. I figured I'd come over and see how things were going." She answered with a grin. "He's miserable, Jolene. I've seen him go through a lot of things but this, this is different. He's not even snarky or short with everyone. He barely talks, he keeps to himself, and when we do see him he looks so damn sad."

"It's not all sunshine and rainbows over here either." I answered as she handed me a muffin. "Finding out the guy you've been dating is a superhero is a lot to take. Especially when you thought you knew him in the first place. It's like living your whole life believing you were born into your family but finding out you were adopted. There are so many questions, you question if everything you felt and experienced was a lie or if it was truth."

"I can understand that. But I'll be the first person to tell you that Steve is the most honest person you will ever meet. He doesn't lie, I don't think he's even capable of it." She laughed. "He may have not told you everything up front but if he didn't, he must have had a damn good reason not to." She took a sip of her coffee before sitting it down beside the box Steve had left for me early this morning. "What's this?" She asked picking up the box and opening it. "Are these... Oh, Jolene," Her voice held heartache as she looked up at me from the tags she held in her hand. She handed me the tags before pulling out the note and reading it, "It all makes sense now." Sadness had covered her features as she looked up at me again. "This is the reason he didn't tell you." She shook the note in her hand. "Everything you need to know about him is here," She said holding out an envelope to me. "He'll be there waiting for you. He intends to show you everything you need to know. It's your choice if you want to know and stay with him or ignore both the problem and him."

"I don't want to ignore him. I care about him, probably more than I should." I said after finishing my muffin.

"The only thing I want to say about all of this is, you have to know the mess you are getting yourself into. I'm not saying he isn't worth it, but you have to know the risk it is to love someone in our line of work." Natasha said as she hopped down off of the counter.

"I know the risks, I've watched them all my life growing up. But you know the one thing that all those widows said after they lost the love of their life? It was worth it. It may be difficult and heartbreaking, but there is no larger heart than that of a hero. And to be loved by such a big heart is a blessing." I wiped the tear that had strayed from my eye before looking back at her.

"You love him don't you?" She asked as she stood in front of me.

"Yeah, I think I do." I smiled at her.

"Well, they say you fight for the ones you love. I guess it's time for you to go do battle." She winked at me before taking the dog tags from my hand and placing them around my neck. "You may want to pack an overnight bag." She instructed.

O.O

After packing a bag I found that the envelope housed a lone ticket for the Smithsonian's Captain America Exhibit. Natasha took me to the train station where I took a train to D.C. The ride was long and gave me ample time to figure out my feelings and rid my head of confusion before seeing Steve again. I arrived about thirty minutes before the exhibit closed. The walls were black, accentuated by the familiar red, white, and blue associated with the hero.

Captain America: The Living Legend And Symbol Of Courage

The entrance was painted with the man the world knew very well. The spangled man with a mask. I had seen this image a thousand times over following the attacks on the city that happened years ago, but now those lips were familiar and the eyes were of a man I knew, or thought I knew.

"The story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery, and sacrifice." The voice over the PA system spoke as I entered. The exhibit was empty for the most part, only a few small families looking around which allowed me more time to look over everything there was to offer me in this place, this place of Steve's past and who the man he had become.

The pictures that graced the walls were those of a Steve that didn't look much younger than he did now, dressed in a uniform much different than the one he had hanging in his room. Everything seemed so eerily familiar about everything I had seen until my eyes fell to the boy he was before. Pre-serum Steve. He had the same eyes, the same lips, ears, nose and hair, his jawline, not seeming as pronounced as it was now, but the boy was no less breathtaking. The image of the Steve before wasn't the one I had imagined but there he was, in his bootcamp gear, dog tags laying against his chest. I almost chuckled as I walked past the posters from the War Bonds tours he had done, his uniform not looking like much more than a romper with tights underneath. When I turned around I was faced with the facts. The man I cared so much about was much more than a superhero, he was a noble man. I read about his missions during the war, how he had saved the lives of 163 men, led attacks and victories over numerous enemy bases. Just past that was a motorcycle from the war which was accompanied by a screen that showed footage of him in action decades ago. Just past that was a display of seven mannequins all dressed in the uniforms of different men. Captain America stood center of his comrades, also known as the Howling Commandos.

An announcement of the exhibit closing came over the loud speaker as another piece of the room caught my eye. There in the center of the room was a photo of a man who was unfamiliar to me. I read through the information that surrounded his photo as the last of the families left the area. I stood there standing at the picture, wondering if he had given up on me coming. I was just about to take a step when his voice came from behind me.

"That's Bucky," Steve spoke. "He was my best friend... IS my best friend."

"This is the friend you were talking about," I stated aloud. I turned to find him standing there in that dark blue jacket, white t-shirt and dark jeans that he had worn before, taking me back to the moment I had first laid eyes on him. It felt odd but comforting, the familiarity of it all. How ironic being that I was meeting him, the true him, for the first time all over again.

"I thought he was gone, I watched him fall from that train... I couldn't save him." Steve paused, shielding his face with the brim of his baseball cap. "Hydra found him, turned him into someone he's not. Sam's been helping me track him down but all the leads run cold."

"It says he's the only one you've ever lost in combat." I gestured back to the glass wall behind me with Bucky's picture.

"Yeah." He said looking back up at me.

"We should get going the exhibit is closed." I said turning around to leave.

"The night guards know we are here. There's more to see." I turned around to see him pull off his hat and run his hand through his hair. He turned around leading me to the back of the large room we were located in. I followed him into a small room with a few benches and a large projection screen. Steve pressed a button on the wall starting a movie. "Thank you for coming." He said as he sat down on the bench next to me. "I wasn't sure if you would." He said gripping the edge of the bench between us. I placed my hand over his, lacing my fingers through his as the screen came to life. It was the young man he once was, in boot camp struggling to do a push up and running behind the pack at a great distance. The narrator spoke of his health conditions and how he was turned away from the military many times before a doctor found him and allowed him to enlist. He was an experiment. My heart clutched in my chest hearing the words. Steve gripped my hand as his smaller self was strapped to a leather pad, closed in a case, and came out a different man. The movie touched base on how he was before the serum and after the serum. Steve was still Steve, a good man, standing up for those who couldn't stand up for themselves, always fighting for the greater good. Interviews were conducted after his disappearance and they were heartbreaking. Steve wasn't just a soldier, he was a well respected man, the same man that sat beside me was the one that sacrificed himself to save the world and without him and his selflessness there was a good chance we wouldn't be sitting here today. That thought broke my heart even more. He would've went on living life, I would've never met him, or I could've never been born. As the theater area went back dark I wiped the silent tears from my face before he could see.

As the lights lit the room his hand retracted from mine and a cold chill slid through my body at the loss of contact. It was in that moment that I knew I couldn't stand to be without him and sent a silent prayer up above that I would never have to do so. "I wanted you to see this. All of it. The creators of the exhibit did a great job explaining my story. Much better than I could've ever done on my own." Steve chuckled before turning to look at me. "What do you think?"

"I think there is one last thing I need to see." I said standing up and gesturing with my head for him to follow me. I headed over to the one part of the exhibit that had been crowded when I had entered.

I placed my hand over the image on the screen. The young man in front of me resembled the man I had grown to know over the last few months. Although this version stood an inch or two shorter than me, his eyes still held the same honesty and noble glow as the blue eyes that weakened my knees that first night my eyes met his. The lips the same fullness that smothered me, leaving me breathless when they came into contact with mine. The picture morphed into the man I had grown accustom to, the man much taller, much broader, a much more sculpted man of the boy before. Although the man that took the screen now was everything a woman would drool over the sight of, the smaller man coming back on the screen made my heart squeeze all over again.

"So he's the one I've fallen in love with all along?" I asked as my fingers stretched over the young man's heart.

"You make me feel like him again," Steve whispered out. He was right behind me, close enough to feel his hot breath on my neck but far enough not to feel him pressed against me.

"You are him, Steve," I spoke out matter-of-factly before the image transformed into what he looked like now. "This may be what you see after the serum but," I paused turning around and looking up at him. "You're the man I fell in love with." His eyes dropped from the image behind me to my eyes. "I didn't fall in love with Captain America or Captain Rogers. I fell in love with Steve. Steve Rogers, the awkward but overly charming man that wears his feelings in his features, who doesn't back down from a fight, who wants to protect, willing to put his life on the line without worrying about death, the man that doesn't understand women, the guy that is so shy and hesitant around me, that is the guy I fell in love with." I paused, "Captain America has been that man all along. The only thing that's changed is your appearance. That doctor, the one in that video, he knew the serum wouldn't change you where it counted most, here." I said placing my hand over his heart. "I just don't understand why you felt you needed to keep this part of you from me."

"I had forgotten what it was like to be a normal person and you gave me that chance again. Everyone I know, knows me as Steve Rogers, Captain America, the man with a plan. I may be that man when it comes to battle, but the guy outside of the fight, outside of that suit... he's still that scrawny and awkward kid from Brooklyn. You seen through the outside appearance, seen everything that I was on the inside and I could finally see hope for a normal life again. That guy that came out of the ice wasn't the same guy that went in." Steve paused looking around the place before looking back at me. "When I came out, I had lost everyone that had ever meant anything to me. I was alone. I went into the water thinking I could survive it, come home, make a life with Peggy, have a normal life. The man that came out knew I would never have that chance again... and then I met you." Steve lifted his hand up, cupping my cheek and placed his other hand over mine that rested on his chest. "I had sacrificed so much. I knew i was when I went into that water so long ago. But I didn't. Peggy was my best girl, she reminded me to fight when I wanted to give up, she helped me find myself when i thought i was lost. You did too. I thought Peggy was my true love, but she was my first love. And now I know that going into that water didn't ruin my life. It was the best decision of my life. I didn't only save the world when I slept on ice for 70 years, I was waiting for you. Peggy knew who I was before I had the serum, and she could've fallen for the little guy, but only acted on it when I came out like this but you, you saw through the big package to fall for the little guy. I needed someone like that. Someone so pure and good hearted. I needed you." Steve moved his hand that was covering my own, placing it on the other side of my face. "You understand me much more than anyone ever has and i can't thank you enough for that. I knew I loved you after our first date, but i wouldn't admit it to myself until the other night at the party. I hated keeping this all from you, I was being selfish, I know that now. But I was so afraid it would change how you looked at me. I was afraid you wouldn't be looking at me as Steve, but as Captain America. But that night at the party... the look on your face when you found out, it broke my heart, that's when I'd realized how wrong I was. And that pain in my chest when you turned around and walked out of my room, I knew I loved you, and I had to make it right." Steve's eyes closed tight before opening again and the confidence was lost in his eyes, replaced with honesty and fear. "I love you Jolene. I don't want to lose you. I can't stand to lose you."

My eyes filled with tears at his own admission and my heart clutched in my chest. My hands gripped his jacket, pulling him down as I reached up on my tip toes to kiss him, "I love you too," I whispered before kissing him again with all the passion in my heart and soul. "I'm not going anywhere, Steve." I vowed as I returned to my flat feet and loosened my grip on his jacket to smooth over his chest.

"Are you going back home tonight?" Steve asked as he placed his hands over mine on his chest.

"No, I have an overnight bag in a locker at the train station." I answered him.

"Let's go get your stuff." Steve said. I smirked at him with a nod of my head before he laced one set of our hands together and began to lead me out of the building.

"This is my apartment. Moved in here while I was working at S.H.E.I.L.D." Steve explained as we pulled up to an apartment building after picking up my things at the station. "I come back here every once in a while to clear my head."

We took an elevator to the top floor and Steve led me down the hallway to his apartment door. He opened the door, holding it open for me to enter in front of him. I took a step inside, him stepping inside behind me and flipping on a switch to light the way. The entry way was lined with books as well as every shelf in sight. Pictures leaned against walls from the floor, waiting to be hung in their place.

"I never really got settled." Steve stated as we walked through his apartment and into the living room. "I just never felt like anything fit, because it felt like I didn't fit."

The words stopped me in my tracks. I turned around looking at Steve, standing there in the middle of his living room. "How do you feel now?"

"I feel like I've finally found my place." He said giving me a lopsided smirk.

I crossed the room grabbing one of the framed photos that lay on the floor, "Then let's give them their place too." I held the frame against the wall above where it sat, "Does this look good?"

"I don't think it's place is in this apartment." Steve said as he walked up behind me, taking the frame in his hand and placing his other hand on the small of my back as he leaned down and placed the photo back on the floor. "I think it's time I packed this place up and took it home." He smiled down at me as I looked over my shoulder at him.

"I don't see Tony letting you hang this stuff in his hallways," I chuckled as I turned around to face him, his hand still laying on the curve above my ass.

"You're probably right about that," Steve said before letting out a hearty laugh. "I was actually thinking about letting go of this place and getting my own in New York." Steve looked around at the barely put together apartment before looking at me.

"Why get a place of your own when you have a place to live already?" I asked, intrigued by the idea as he led me back to the center of the living room.

"Well for starters, if I want to have a date night in with my very beautiful girlfriend, I'd like it if there weren't any tag alongs. I can't really make that promise living with Sam." He snorted, sitting down on the couch.

"How about we use tonight for a practice run of that date night you're talking about." I said sitting down on the comfortable couch next to him.

"That's not a bad idea. Except the fact I have no food in this house so I can't really cook a proper dinner." Steve smiled.

"Well, let's do something different. How about you order some take out and I'll run to the store I saw down the street and get us some beverages?"

"You're good at this." Steve said putting his hand over mine on the middle of the couch. "Just another reason I'm extremely lucky."

"Hush," I giggled as I stood up from the couch and leaned down to him, "I'll be back in a little bit." I leaned the remaining distance, placing a kiss on his waiting lips before grabbing my purse and heading out the door.

I returned about an hour later. The store hadn't been far, but the issue of deciding what to get was what had taken the longest. "I got some beer and some Coke," I said as I entered. The entryway's light was on but the rest of the apartment's lighting seemed dimmed. "Steve?"

"In here," He shouted from the living room. He had pushed the coffee table forward allowing us room to sit on the floor to eat. The coffee table was filled with Chinese take-out boxes and candles. The candles giving off the dimmed glow of the room.

"Oh, Steve," I smiled.

"Is this okay?" He said standing up from the floor and stepping next to the coffee table. The look in his eyes looked like that of a kid who wasn't sure if his crush liked the gift he was giving and the image made me imagine the smaller boy he was before, giving me puppy dog eyes.

I smiled at him before sitting the bags I had in my hands down on the floor and walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. "It's perfect," I reached up on my tip toes to give him a light kiss before dropping back to my flat feet and untangling my hands from around his neck. "What do you want to drink?" I asked as I walked back to the bags I had abandoned on the floor.

"Here let me get that," Steve said as he walked past me and grabbed the bags before I could. "Beer or Coke?" He pulled the options from the bags placing them on the counter and waiting for my answer.

"Coke," I answered. He slid a can towards me before grabbing himself one and placing the rest of the beverages in the fridge. Steve and I walked back to the living room where he placed an Ella Fitzgerald vinyl on his record player before sitting down next to me on the floor to eat. We ate as the music played throughout the apartment and talked about his time working with the Avengers.

"Oh yay! We got three fortune cookies!" I exclaimed as I reached across the table to grab the plastic wrapped cookies. "We can each have one and share the last one." I grabbed one, cracking it open and setting the paper aside to eat the cookie.

"What does yours say?" I asked before taking a bite of my cookie.

"You have remarkable tools for success," He replied.

"In bed," I added with a smirk.

"Your's says in bed?" Steve asked with a shocked expression.

"No," I laughed, "You add 'in bed' at the end of whatever your fortune cookie says," I explained.

"I've never heard of that before," Steve said with a raised eyebrow.

"It's just to make it funny I guess," I shrugged.

"You have remarkable tools for success in bed," Steve laughed. "It does make it funnier." Something about hearing him say it all together made the message much dirtier, making me blush. "What's yours say?"

"Someone will rise to your expectations, in bed," I mumbled out. Steve's face was red and he coughed like he was choking on his cookie. I wasn't sure why I had mentioned the 'in bed' thing. I guess it was because I was used to eating Chinese with Caroline and we goofed off all the time. However, in this setting it didn't seem like a silly thing. I could feel my face flushing even more as Steve turned towards me and grabbed the last wrapped cookie, handing it to me.

"So this is for the both of us?" He asked.

I ripped the plastic, praying to god it wasn't one like the last two had been. "Love is for the Lucky and the Brave," I read before getting cut off by Steve.

"In bed," he chuckled before looking at me with that beautiful crooked smirk of his. Our eyes held each other as a comfortable silence took over the room as the album we had been listening to ended. "I love you," He smiled after the admission left his lips causing me to smile back at him through my blush.

"I love you too, Steve Rogers." I leaned forward, placing my hands on the sides of his face and pressing my lips over his. His lips pushed against mine gently as his hands came to rest on my hip and the back of my head. Steve's tongue brushed against the seam of my lips taking me by surprise. He had never been the one to take the next step first and this only spurred me on. I sat up on my knees as I opened my mouth to him and his hand on my hip pulled me to him, in need of being closer to one another. I lifted one leg, swinging it over to the other side of his legs before sitting down on his lap. I deepened the kiss as his hand dropped from the back of my head to my other hip. His tongue wrestled with mine for a delicious dance of dominance, making my need for him grow. I pushed my hips forward as I pulled back to catch my breath. Steve's lips traveled along my jaw placing small open mouthed kisses causing me core to clench and my hips to roll against his involuntarily. I pulled Steve's mouth up to mine as I continued grind my hips against his. Steve moaned into my mouth, his hands gripping my hips tight causing as tinge of pain and waking me from the lust filled haze he was creating in my head and body. "I'm sorry," I said as I pulled away and made a move to remove myself from his lap. "I'm sorry, I don't want to move this faster than you're ready to go."

Steve's grip on my hips held me to my spot, "Don't apologize," he said as he looked at me. "I'm ready."


	8. Chapter 8

**Something - Jim Sturgess**

"I'm sorry," I said as I pulled away and made a move to remove myself from his lap. "I'm sorry, I don't want to move this faster than you're ready to go."

Steve's grip on my hips held me to my spot, "Don't apologize," he said as he looked at me. "I'm ready." Steve wrapped an arm around my lower back as he pushed off the couch with the other and righted himself on his feet before lowering me to my feet. "Come on," Steve said as he grabbed one of the bigger candles on the table and blew out the rest. He laced his fingers through mine, using the candle to lead us through his apartment to his bedroom. From what I could tell the walls were bare but the bed was made to perfection, looking very fluffy and inviting. Steve sat the candle down on one of the nightstands before returning at the foot of the bed where I was standing. "Jolene," Steve said as he looked up at me through his lashes. He was fidgeting with his fingers nervously as I waited for him to speak again. He didn't look like Captain America in this lighting, not even like post-serum Steve as he stood there shyly glancing between his fingers and I. He looked every bit of the skinny boy he was before his life drastically changed and his timidness seemed so beautifully innocent in this intimate setting, making my heart swell in my chest and a smile to creep over my face. "I've never done this before." The words almost came out as a whisper as he glanced back up at me through his lashes, his eyes and facial features leading on to the fear that was built up within him. The man was almost a century old and he was really standing here telling me he was a virgin.

"Like since you've been out of the ice or ever?" I asked as I took a step forward towards him.

"Ever," He answered before looking at anything but me. "Never really had a chance. After I became this I never had the time and ladies weren't exactly throwing themselves at me before this happened." He snorted as he gestured to his super soldier physique. "I mean...I just...I don't know...I just wanted it to be special...I sound like such a girl...I mean I," He trailed off as I placed my hand on his cheek and forced him to look at me.

"There is nothing wrong with that Steve. We don't have to do this. I don't want you to be doing this for me," I said as I ran my hand through his hair, above his ear.

"I...I want to," He stumbled through his words again, "With you. You're what I've been waiting for, Jolene. I'm not worried about doing this with you...making love...I'm just," He rolled his eyes at himself, "I'm just worried it won't be any good for you."

"Steve, it'll be perfect. Not because you'll be good at it, but because I love you." I lifted up on my tiptoes to kiss him, pressing my body into his to get him to relax. His hands came up to rest on my hips as I slid one of my hands to the back of his neck, scratching my nails through the hair at his nape. I watched as his eyes fluttered close as I ran my fingertips lightly against the bare skin of his neck trying to relax him.

"I," I cut him off with a kiss and his hands came to rest on my hips. "Love you too," He mumbled out as I pulled my lips away from his to catch my breath. I pulled at the back of his neck as I rested on my flat feet, bringing his lips back to mine with force as I parted his lips with my tongue. My blood felt like a fire raging through my veins as he kissed me with so much passion I was sure it would make my ears ring. Our tongues wrestled for dominance once more as his arms wrapped around my back, pulling me tighter to his body. He turned us, my calves brushing against the edge of his bed. He began leaning forward more making me bend back towards the bed.

"Hold on," I breathed out as I pressed a hand to his chest. Steve pulled away with slight worry lingering in his features. He stood upright dropping his hands back to my hips and giving me some space. I ran my hands down his chest and over his impressive abdomen until I reached the hem of his shirt. I dragged my fingertips over the bare skin just above his jeans before flattening my hands over his stomach and pushing this shirt up as my palms devoured his above extraordinary body. Steve sucked in a sharp breath as my fingers brushed against his nipples, "Arms up," I said looking up at him with a devious grin. He did as I had instructed, letting me rid him of his t-shirt before dropping his arms to his sides. He watched me as I slowly unbuttoned the plaid shirt I had worn, his eyes darting between watching my hands, the newly exposed skin and my eyes. I watched him as I reached the third button down, he licked his lips before looking up at me.

"Can I?" His deep voice whispered into the darkened room as his barely there, blue eyes locked onto mine. I nodded at him before dropping my hands to my sides. Steve's always steady hands were shaking as he worked diligently to push the white disc through its hole to reveal more of myself to him. Steve bit his bottom lip tightly between his teeth as he worked to free each button from its hold. I pushed my chest out and shoulders back once the last button had been undone, waiting for him to push the material off of my shoulders and arms. What I hadn't intended was the coolness of his fingers as they ran along the waistline of my jeans hesitantly. His hands stilled once they were sitting on my sides, his thumb running over the side of my stomach as he looked up at me through his lashes before giving me a small grin. He reminded me of a child on Christmas opening a gift slowly to enjoy the anticipation of what was inside and the more I thought about it, it felt exactly like that as the lust building in my lower belly increased with the anticipation. His hands had stopped shaking as he trailed them up my sides, grazing the sides of my lace covered breasts before pushing the material of my shirt down my arms, leaving it to pool on the floor at my feet. I kicked my shoes from my feet quickly, making Steve follow my lead.

"Touch me, Steve," I breathed out, not above begging for his touch. I was craving it more right now than I was craving oxygen for my lungs. He held his hands up awkwardly as he looked over my body as if he was unsure of where to start. I took a step closer to him before running my hands over his chest and up to his neck where I gripped him tightly pulling him down for a scorching kiss. Steve's hands worked on their own as they gripped my hips tightly before pushing up my sides and resting on my ribcage. His hands stayed there as his thumb rubbed along the underside of my bra, teasing the flesh waiting to be touched with brushes of his skin against mine. Our mouths stayed latched to one another, feeding my arousal as I lightly scratched over the flesh of his pecs and abs before reaching his waist. I dipped my index finger into the waistband of his jeans and boxers causing Steve to let out a groan as his hips needily bucked forward wanting more. I worked quickly to unlatch his belt before popping the button of his jeans free and unzipping the zipper. Steve's breath hitched as I ran my fingertips along the waist of his jeans until reaching around to the back and pushing the denim over his impressive ass. He pulled his lips from mine as he looked down at his jeans pooled at his ankles. He stepped out of them before reaching down and pulling his socks off his feet. His eyes locked with mine as my hands popped the button on my own jeans and pushed them down, wiggling my hips to help the denim over the fullness. I pulled my feet free from the skinny jeans, taking off my socks as well. I stood up straight watching Steve's face as he drank in all of the newly exposed skin and gazed appreciatively at the lace boyshort panties that matched the bra I was wearing. While his eyes traveled over the expanse of my stomach and legs I reached behind my back, unfastening the eye hooks of my bra but leaving the cups in their place. I reached for Steve's hands, setting them against my neck and guiding him by the wrist to push the straps from my shoulders. I dropped my arms to my sides, letting the lace cups fall away from my overheated skin. I looked watched over Steve's features as he sucked in a breath and moved one hand to the back of my neck, pulling me towards him forcefully and slamming his lips down on mine. I could feel his impressive erection pressed against my hipbone as I wrapped my arms around his back, trailing my nails over the taut muscles and feeling themripple. I pulled away slightly, looking up at Steve's blown pupils, his swollen lips parted as he panted and his chest heaved. I pulled on his wrist, his fingertips grazing the skin of my shoulder, to my collar, and then over the swell of my breast. Steve's eyes followed his hand as it moved over me until I left it resting over my breast. I pushed his hand further against my tender flesh with pressure to the back of his hand. His eyes shot up to mine before dropping back down to his hand as he gently groped my chest. I dropped my hand from his wrist, letting it rest against his hip for a moment before lightly sliding my hand over the soft fabric of his boxers until I was met with his stiffened length. As my hand cupped around his shaft he let out a groan of pleasure, his hand gripping my boob harder, which sent waves of pleasure through my body making me grasp his throbbing cock harder in my hand. He rested his forehead against mine as he furrowed his brow and released a hiss. His eyes fluttered open, his long eyelashes brushing against my brows and making me hum in contentment.

"Jolene, I'm not going to last long if we keep doing this," he whispered out as he closed his eyes tightly, his features resembled that of pain, but his membered jumping in my hand was telling me it wasn't pain he was feeling.

"Okay," I whispered back to him as I released him from my hand and he stood up straighter, dropping his hand from my breast to my hip. I placed a hand on his cheek and the other on his chest against his racing heart, reaching up on my toes to kiss along his strong jaw line as I turned us so his back was facing the bed. "I won't torture you anymore," I chuckled as I ran my nose over his cheek until my lips came into contact with his. I kissed him briefly before pushing against his chest until his legs hit the edge of the bed and he sat down on its edge. "Scoot up the bed," I instructed him as I grabbed the waistband of his boxers. He looked up at me with a slight blush creeping up the side of his neck before he lifted his hips, allowing me to pull the material down his legs. He made a move to cover himself as the base of his erection was revealed to me, but I looked back up at him as I pulled the material the rest of the way down, trying to give him comfort in knowing I wasn't staring at him. I dropped my eyes as I pulled his boxers free from his ankles before looking up at him. He scooted up on the bed, watching me as I drank in the last bit of the man that was giving himself to me tonight. The idea that I would be his first was nerve wracking as much as honoring. I remembered the time I had lost my virginity, neither of us experienced as he fumbled with condom foils and touched each other with trembling hands. The experience wasn't one for the books when it came to orgasms since I didn't have one due to his two pumps and done situation. That was something I didn't want for Steve. I knew that being the selfless man he was if he finished before I did, he would feel awful and that was the last thing I wanted his first time to be. I looked up at him as I crawled up the bed, pushing his legs apart before trailing my fingertips up the inside of his legs. Steve hummed in pleasure as my fingers teased his skin, but his breathing stopped as my fingers grazed the sides of his balls. I held the heavy sacks in one hand, massaging the engorged orbs in my palms.

"Jolene," Steve breathed out in a rush of breath as I moved my hand up to stroke his girthy member.

"Shhh," I hushed him, trying to soothe his nerves as I lifted up onto his elbows to watch me as I looked up his body at him. "Hold my hair out of my face. I want to watch you," I told him in my most seductive voice. I laid down on my stomach, propping myself up on one elbow as I pulled my hair all to one side with my other hand before returning to stroke him. He watched me as I wrapped my lips around the tip of his leaking cock. He let out a low moan as his head fell back and I ran my tongue over the head of his dick collecting the salty precum that had collected there. My hair draped in front of my face as I pushed him further into my mouth, working both my mouth and hand together. Steve dropped from his elbows to the pillows that supported his head, allowing him to look down his body at me. Steve pushed the hair that was hiding my face, allowing me to watch him as his face contorted between pain and pleasure. "Don't fight anything Steve," I whispered after pulling off of him and giving him a few firm tugs.

"But you," He grunted out as his hips began to move on their own accord.

"I'll get mine, don't worry," I smiled up at him deviously before wrapping my mouth around him again. His fingers stayed threaded through my hair loosely as I bobbed my head over his heated flesh.

"Jolene," Steve's fingers began to grip in my hair as I stroked him faster, stilling my mouth over the head of his dick and tracing the veins on the underside with the tip of my tongue. My saliva seeped from my mouth, trailing down his shaft to my hand, over my thumb and collecting on his balls. "Oh," he moaned out as his grip tightened even tighter in my hair and his hips began to pump towards my mouth against his own control. I gagged as his hips pressed his thick member further into my mouth, hitting the back of my throat. "I'm...I'm sorry," he said as he tried to pull himself from my mouth. I tightened my hand around his base, humming and slightly shaking my head to let him know it was okay. "You gotta stop," he begged as he tried to pull my head from him using my hair. I pumped him faster and began bobbing my head quicker, knowing he was on the verge of an orgasm and wanting badly to get him there. I looked up his body as his brows furrowed, his mouth hung open as his breathing began to increase in speed. "I'm gonna," He started to speak before letting out a deep moan as his hand cupped the back of my head softly, making sure not to push me further onto him. I hummed against him, watching his mouth snap shut as he clenched his teeth together and let out a hiss before his mouth dropped open again and he let out the sexiest moan I had ever heard. The fact that Steve was so vocal in the bedroom as pleasure took over his body only made the fire in my belly burn more with anticipation of feeling him fill me. His hips pushed forward, his body stilling. I watched as his abs rippled and he dropped his hand from the back of my head to the bed, both of his hands gripping the sheets tightly. "Ahh, ohhhh," He moaned as I felt his cock throb in my mouth, filling my mouth with his hot but sweet nectar. I greedily swallowed all of it down, watching his heaving chest as his handsunclenched and grasped the sheets between his fingers as the waves of pleasure washed over him. His stiffened member began to grow limp in my mouth, letting me suck him one last time to collect anything I had missed before I pulled my mouth off of him with a pop. "Oh...Oh God, That was," he struggled with speaking through his heavy breathing as his eyes locked with mine before closing again. He placed both hands over his chest as he tried to regain control of his breathing.

"Good?" I asked as I climbed the bed to lay next to him. I propped myself on my side, running my fingers over his sweat glistened chest as he calmed. "That's not an accurate enough word for that," he breathed before turning his head to look at me. His once dilated eyes were now back to their crystal blue pools and made my heart skip a beat as he gave me a lazy grin. His happy features were quickly replaced with worry as he turned onto his side and one of his hands came up to my cheek, threading through my hair that lay against it.

"I want to make you feel good. I want to make you feel like that," I could see the seriousness in his eyes as he searched mine for some sign or what to do in order to give me the pleasure I had just given him.

"Okay," I smiled, laying down on my back and laying both of my hands on my lower abdomen. "Touch me." Steve's hand flattened on my stomach, moving over my rips and up to my breast, he leaned in capturing my lips with his. His hand gently massaged my right breast before moving to the other as his mouth worked silently against mine. "More," I breathed out. Steve lifted his head to look at me as he pulled his hand back from my body. "If you're not comfortable with it, you don't have to."

"I want to," Steve said as he sat up in the bed and turned to face me, sitting on his knees. His hands skimmed along the sides of my thighs, moving gently over the lace of my underwear before coming to the waistband. I could feel his hands shaking with nerves as he looped his fingers into the elastic at my hips. I lifted my hips from the bed allowing him to remove my panties and watched as he tossed my underwear to the floor with his before looking back at me. I suddenly felt self-conscience as I laid bare for him, letting him drink me in made me nervous. Steve sat next to me in all his naked glory as he ran one hand up my leg from my ankle. His fingers teased the seam of my legs as his hand began to rise above my knees. I could feel my core flooding with arousal as I quivered with his touch, anxious for him to reach my overheating center. Steve stilled his hand as he reached the top of my thighs, grazing my apex. My hips moved on their own, working to find solace in his touch. Steve leaned forward, running his nose along my jaw to my chin. He nudged my chin upwards with his nose, making me expose my neck to him. Steve kissed along the front of my neck softly with open mouth kisses as he cupped my bare mound with his hand. The tip of his middle finger teased at my folds until finally dipping between. An audible gasp slipped as he looked down my body while feeling my arousal. It was torture how slow he was going, but the hesitance he had helped keep my patience. His head snapped up, his beautiful blue eyes locking on mine as he added his ring finger between my lips and brushed against my clit. I tried, but failed miserably to keep eye contact with him as he found his way around my body. My eyes snapped close, body arching into his touch as a hiss of pleasure passed through my clenched teeth. His fingers circled the spot, adding pressure and retreating slightly before pushing against the swollen nub once more, making lightning bolts of pleasure pass through my body. His fingers were gone in a matter of seconds, causing panic to course through my body. I sat up on my elbows, eyes wide wondering what had gone wrong, but Steve was moving on the bed, his body laying down between my legs, propped up on his elbows as he looked up my body at me. "Is this okay?" That unsure look crossed through his features before I nodded my head. "You smell good on my fingers." I really think he was trying to be honest, always the observant Steve he was, but the words were dirty and so sexy coming out of such a pure mouth. He slid his fingers between my folds again, brushing against my clit before circling my core and invading my center with two fingers.

"Oh God!" I exclaimed as he moved his fingers inside me. He withdrew them before gently pushing back in, not having a steady pace, but more as an experimental exploration instead. I lifted my head, looking down my body at him as he looked at what he was doing to me. He pulled his fingers from me, sliding up my folds to my clit once more and making me cry out in bliss. I opened my eyes again finding him looking up at me with a smirk on his face before he circled his fingers once more making my thighs shiver. "S-Steve," I breathed out, I needed to feel his body against mine. I knew he may not have been recovered from his orgasm before, but I couldn't handle having him out of reach and the torture he was putting me through was pleasurable but I needed and wanted so much more. "Come here."

"But I want to make you feel good." He said as he pulled his fingers from me and lifted up on all fours. He made a move to climb to my side, but I shook my head at him, gripping the back of his head and pulling him up my body so he was hovering over me. I pulled his lips down to mine as he propped himself up on one arm while the other hand caressed my cheek. The feel of his bare skin between my legs was enough to make me want to come right there on the spot, but I was being greedy, I wanted more. I wanted to feel him everywhere at once. I gripped my hand over his wrist, moving his hand on my face, pulling it down my body to my breast. He massaged the mound in his hand gently as his mouth opened to mine, his tongue finding its way into my mouth and tangling with my own, making me moan. I pushed his hand further down my body, my fingers tangling with his as I guided him to my core. If he was going to finger me, I wanted to feel it like this, his lips on mine, skin on skin. I pushed his fingers between my slick folds, maneuvering his fingers to play against my clit, making me slam my head down into the pillows underneath me. Steve's mouth found my exposed neck as I moaned out my enjoyment of this moment. I slid his fingers down, massaging my wet opening, where I wanted him most. He dipped the tips of his fingers inside of me slightly before pulling back and rimming my core once more. I was on the edge and struggling to stay afloat as I drowned in the heat that was taking over my body.

"S-Steve I-I-I need more," I stuttered out between rapid breath. He pushed his fingers into me fully, circling them around into my walls, making me tighten around him. I was on the verge of screaming as he lightly peppered my jaw with kisses and his fingers worked my core. He wasn't being very gentle now, his urgency to make me feel good showing in the frantic thrust of fingers and rough kisses he was now placing on my lips. Steve Rogers was no doubt a gentle, caring man, but in the throws of passion he was close to becoming primal. I could feel the slight pain from the contact of his knuckles against my pelvic bone, but it wasn't enough pain to keep me from thrusting my hips towards him. I was resting on the edge of my orgasm, his fingers working my pussy like a harpist playing heavenly music, but I needed more. "Clit...put your thumb on it." Steve pulled his head away from mine, looking down into my eyes and maintaining the eye contact as he stilled his fingers inside me before massaging my frontal wall and driving me near insanity as he found my sweet spot. His thumb brushed against my clit briefly making me whine in frustration before he placed his thumb over it again, rubbing it lazily as his fingers worked to finish me off. My hands were frantic, gripping the sheets, his perfectly round ass, and then his back.

"I love you," his eyes pierced my soul as he spoke the words. His deep voice was exactly the one last piece of the equation my body was needing to reach its sum. I was coming, my body thrashing wildly below his as my walls convulsed around his digits still buried deep inside of me. His eyes still locked on my face as I closed my eyes and screamed out his name. His back muscles tense as he stilled his actions and watched me ride out the bliss he has given me. "Wow," was the only thing I heard as my body came down from its high and lay limp on the bed. He pulled his fingers from me as he rolled off of me and onto the bed next to me, his chest heaving as he threw an arm over his forehead and stared at the ceiling. "I never realized you could be more beautiful than you already were until just then." He looked over at me, my lazy lids fighting against me to open so I could see the man who had provided me so much joy. He was lying there, his glorious body on display, one arm reaching out towards me, his hand cupping the back of my head and trying to pull me closer. As I drank in his naked form and cuddled up to his side, I realized he was fully erect once more and the urge to feel him buried within me was more than I could take. Once I was nestled into his side, my head resting on his chiseled chest, I placed my hand on his abs, outlining each square before following his Adonis belt down to his dick that was standing at attention once more.

"I want to make love with you now," I said, looking up at him from my position and wrapping my hand around his heated flesh.

He let out a groan before looking down at me, "Isn't that what we were just doing?"

"That was foreplay, Steve. We're just getting to the good stuff." I smiled as I propped myself up on my elbow and gave him a firm stroke making him choke out another moan. I watched as his eyes fluttered closed and he sucked in a quick breath, holding it before he opened his blue eyes that had once again been taken over by his blown pupils. It was a delicious sight, watching such a composed man let himself get lost in the need of his body. I sat up straddling his thighs while I gave him another stroke, and watched his eyes shut tight again. He let out a soft pleasured moan again as his hands tangled in the sheet below us, the image was beautiful as I watched him enjoy himself. I watched his face as I moved up his body, hovering over his engorged cock as I gave him one last stroke before holding him still as I slid my soaked center over him. Once the head of his thick member was inside me Steve's eyes opened quickly in alarm before propping himself up on his elbows and looking down at where our bodies were being joined. I slid further down his long cock, slowly letting him invade my core, allowing me time to adjust before pushing forward to consume more of him. Once I was fully seated on him, my walls clenching around every inch of him, he reached up with one hand, pushing the hair from my face and gently rubbed my cheek with his thumb. I turned my head, kissing the center of his palm before I began moving my hips against him. My head automatically dropped back as my mouth hung open in bewilderment. I could feel him stretching me, the slight motion, giving so much pleasure it course through my body in waves. As I moved he dropped back to the bed, his hands coming to rest on my hips as I moved slowly back and forth, grinding my hips against his. His hands tightened with every move I made, almost to the point of pain when I sat upright. I leaned forward, placing my hands on his muscular chest for support as I began to lift myself off of him and slide back down on him at a torturous pace. His hands came up to my face, pushing back the hair that was hiding me from his view, our eyes locked in an intense but loving gaze. "Fuck, Steve," I swore, unable to control myself or even process the words that were coming out of my mouth. One of Steve's hands gripped my hip roughly as his eyes darkened a bit more and his lips parted slightly, his tongue coming out to wet them slowly. The look on his face and the way his cock was rubbing every sweet spot inside of me all at once was driving me mad, making me dig my nails into his chest as gently as possible. I was spiraling out of control with the sweet magic he was creating inside of me and I was trying with every inch of my being to keep from losing myself too much. I wanted very much to be in the moment with him as he was buried deep inside of me for the first time.

"You feel so good Jolene," He breathed out before his other hand dropped from my face to the bed beside him, gripping the sheets tightly into a ball in his fist, his other hand tightening on my hip as his body arched into mine. I could tell he was getting close, feeling him grow harder, his base swelling larger at my entrance. I pulled myself off of him, his hand releasing its grip on my hip and his eyes opening wildly as he wondered what had happened, "Did I do something wrong?" He asked as I crawled to the side of the bed. "Did I hurt you?" His hand came to rest on my back as I opened his nightstand in hopes for a condom.

"Just taking precautions. I'm on birth control, but if your little swimmers are as super as you are, that's not going to stop them." I giggled as I held up a small unopened box of condoms from his nightstand.

"Where did those come from? … Nat," He mumbled under his breath before smirking.

"Thank God for her proactive thinking," I smiled back at him deviously as I unwrapped the box, pulling a foil packet out. I ripped the package open using my teeth before pulling the condom out. I pushed the condom over his length slowly before looking up at him, "Make love to me Steve." I tossed the condom wrapper across the room as I lay down on my back next to him. He propped himself up on his elbow, turning himself on his side to face me. I reached up gently running my fingertips over his cheek and along his jaw before pushing my hand to the back of the head and pulling him down into a scorching kiss. It was filled with the urgency I was feeling to have him buried in me once more. Steve's upper body hovered over me before I grabbed his lower back, pulling him onto me. His lips pulled off of mine as he held his upper body off of me, his hands resting on the bed on the other side of my head, while he rested his hips against mine. His hardened length was pressed against my ass as he held his position above me and watched me as I reached between us and guided his erection to my core. He pushed his hips forward slowly, his lips parting as his eyes closed and he moaned softly as he felt himself push further inside of me. Mmmm, Steve," I hummed out as he buried himself completely inside me. His hips stilled, his eyes opening as he looked down on me.

"Jolene," He breathed as he pressed his body against mine, lowering to his elbows so our bodies became one. He pulled his hips back, his lower back muscles flexing under my hands. His hips pushed forward with force this time, the power jolting me in place. His pace increased as his he searched for his orgasm. I could feel him growing harder, thicker inside me as he worked against my walls, giving me the much needed friction I was searching for. My hips began working against my will, pushing towards him as he entered me with swift thrusts and pulling back from him as his hips retreated, hitting me in all the right spots to build the ever growing ball of arousal in my lower belly. "Ah...Jolene...So...Good...Oh," he moaned out as his eyes locked on mine. His brows furrowed together as his thrusts became erratic. He had his teeth clenched and every muscle in his back worked feverishly to help him push himself as deep as he could go inside of me. I was teetering on the edge of the blissful abyss I was awaiting to fall into, watching him come closer to the edge with me as he pounded out his pleasure into my body. His mouth went lax as he gave me two more rough thrusts, our bodies making their own music through the slapping sounds of our bodies. Watching him climax, pushed me off into that sweet abyss with him as I felt his cock throb inside of me, feeling the added pressure from his powerful coming against my sweet spot deep inside of me. I held my eyes open, wanting to remember everything about this moment as his muscles flex beneath my hands, his back arched as he came with force. His face as it contorted between pain and pleasure. And the sweet song of his moans and grunting as each wave of his orgasm washed over him. I tried so hard to fight against my eyes closing as my orgasm hit an all-time high, but it was a waste of effort as my walls began to spasm out of control and my hips rocked against him as my pussy worked endlessly to drain him of every drop of his orgasm while I rode out mine. I felt the pleasure in every nerve ending, the cool burn of cold heat washing over every inch of my body before my body relaxed underneath him. I opened my eyes to find him watching me as I came down from the high he had given me.

"That was the most mind-blowing experience I've ever had," I breathed out as he rolled off of me and to my side.

"I couldn't agree more," He replied as he turned onto his side to face me, propping his head on one hand and letting the other run over my stomach. I helped him pull the condom off before exiting the bed to dispose of it.

"I love you, Steve," I smiled as I lay on my stomach beside him.

"I love you more than you know," Steve replied as he drew lazy patterns on my naked back, lulling me to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Lovesong - Adele**

The light glow of a lamp woke me from my slumber. The cool air on my exposed back sent a chill up my spine as my eyes fluttered open and I stretched my legs out below the soft sheets. I had almost forgotten I was in D.C., in Steve's apartment. He was sitting in the chair against the wall, in only plaid sleeping pants as he continued writing on the pad of paper in his lap.

"Hey," My sleepy voice cracked. His blue eyes snapped up from the page to mine before he gave me a soft grin. "What are you doing?"

"Don't move," His voice said softly as his smile widened. I wasn't sure why he was telling me not to move and anxiety ran through me as I began to worry what was wrong. "I'm drawing you." My heart warmed in its place in my chest as I stayed still for the artist.

"I forgot you said you could draw," I closed my eyes as I rested in place, the sheet draped over my behind and laced between my legs. I

suddenly became very insecure as I realized he was drawing every line of my body, my exposed back, the side of my bare breast that was pressed to the mattress below me. "I'm no model to be drawing." I snorted as I opened my eyes and looked over to where he was sitting.

"It's been a long time since I've wanted to draw," He said putting the final touches on his masterpiece. "You are too beautiful of a muse to waste," He smiled as he sat the pad and pencil to the side and he clasped his hands in his lap. "And I never want to forget this moment." He paused. "I don't think you realize how truly beautiful you are."

"Steve, I've been asleep, probably drooling or snoring. And that's not adding the fact that I'm sure I have a bad case of sex hair." I laughed.

"I've never seen a more breathless view than the one I was blessed to wake up to this morning," Steve leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees as he cocked his head sideways and his eyes twinkled in the dim lighting.

"Well you haven't seen yourself through my eyes," I smiled at him as I rolled over onto my back, trying to pull the sheets over my chest. "Can I see it?"

"See what?" He asked, a confused look falling over his features.

"Your picture," I said pointing over to the pad at his side. "Please?"

"Okay, but no judging. I'm a little rusty," He grabbed the paper, holding it close to his chiseled bare chest as he stood up and walked over to the bed.

"I'm sure it's wonderful," I smiled as he sat down on the edge of the bed next to me. I sat up holding the sheet to my chest but my modesty was soon forgotten when he turned the page to face me. The image was beautiful, the woman on the white paper stood out in shades of gray and black as she lay on her stomach. Her dark hair was fanned over the page, her face was peaceful as she slept and her back was exposed as the cover draped over her ass keeping her as modest as possible. "It's beautiful," I whispered as I looked up from the page to the artist sitting before me.

"You're beautiful," he whispered as he leaned forward, his lips grazing the side of my neck. The pad of paper fell from my hands as my head fell back allowing him more access to my neck. He propped himself up on one hand as he leaned into me more, his other hand grazing the side of my breast before resting on my ribs. I hadn't realized the sheet had fallen to my waist before then and it really didn't matter now as his mouth danced over my skin. "You're wearing them," he softly spoke as he leaned away from me and brought his hands up to the two silver dog tags lying between my breasts. "I didn't notice them last night."

"Well, we were a little preoccupied," I smiled up at him.

Steve chuckled, his cheeks growing a slight blush before he leaned forward and gave me a soft and brief kiss. "It means a lot to see you wearing these," his eyes went soft from the dark desire-filled eyes they were moments before.

"I love you, Steve. Everything about you is special. The serum didn't make you special, it made you the perfect soldier. But right here," I placed my hand on his chest, "made you the perfect man. That heartbeat may not have been as strong as the thump against my hand now, but it was that same heart that was beating. The heart of a good person never changes unless it's wounded." I glanced up, my eyes meeting his, his bottom lids retaining the water that lay there on the brink of falling. "And that's the most incredible part of you. That heart has been wounded and yet it still beats on full of hope and courage. Those scars never changed you. You are a great man, Steve Rogers, and I'll spend the rest of my life wondering what I've done to deserve you."

"Come on," Steve said standing up swiftly from the bed. "I wanna take you somewhere."

"Where are we going?" I asked as I took his hand in mine, allowing him to pull me to a standing position.

"You'll see." His eyes were bright and full of life as a wide smile spread across his face. He looked like the young man that once wore the tags I had around my neck. His exuberance was contagious and had given me the boost I needed to head to the shower and get ready for the day Steve had planned for the both of us.

He had breakfast waiting for me when I got out of the shower. "I ran to the diner down the road while you were in the shower," he said before giving me a kiss on the cheek and walking past me towards the bedroom.

"Aren't you going to eat?" I asked him as I fixed the towel around my chest and sat down on one of the barstools.

"I will after I get a shower," Steve said with a wink and disappeared into the room. I felt odd eating without him as all the food sat there on the counter so I decided to finish getting ready instead. I pulled a dress from my bag, sitting it on his bed before grabbing a pair of underwear and bra. I stood there looking at the disheveled bed, my purely white dress laid out over the place I had stripped Steve's innocence away. I couldn't regret it, though, I had never been more sure of someone in my entire life. Unlike any man I had ever been with before, Steve made me feel comfortable, safe, and free to be myself. I felt a rush of happiness through my body, my chest feeling like it was about to burst as open and my heart was going to explode.

"How was breakfast?" I heard his voice come from behind me before he pulled my damp hair over to one shoulder. His lips grazed over my naked shoulder before firmly pressing kisses over my skin.

"I was waiting for you," I smiled as he wrapped his arms around me and I slipped my hand into his wet hair. "Mmmm," I hummed out as his lips caressed the tender skin at my pulse point. "If you don't stop that we will be skipping breakfast," I smiled as the tip of his nose ran along the edge of my ear. His hands gripped the towel tightly, giving it a slight tug before letting it go to drop to the floor. My skin grew goosebumps as the cool air in the room came in contact with my skin. Steve's lips trailed along my spine slowly, lowering kiss by kiss and making the desire growing inside, setting me ablaze. I closed my eyes, focusing on where his plump lips collided with my bare skin.

I felt one of his hands brush along the outside of my leg, "Lift your left." His voice caught me off guard as his breath fanned over the underside of my ass. I looked down seeing the pair of my underwear that had been on the bed, stretched between his hands, waiting for me to step in.

"Well, if I knew this was the plan all along I would've dressed myself," I smirked at him as I looked behind me.

"I wanted to put them on since I was the one that took them off." His eyes glittered in the low lighting of the room as he looked up at me with a smile. I lifted one leg, following his instructions as he looped my foot with one hole before following his lead with the other. He pulled them up my legs slowly, his fingers grazing over my skin and sending jolts of electricity straight to my core. As he settled them in place he reached around me, grabbing the bra from the bed. I could feel his hardened length on the curve of my ass, straining against the towel he had slung around his waist. He placed open mouth kisses over my shoulder up to the side of my neck, sucking on my pulse point and causing me to moan. Steve sat his chin on my shoulder as he held my bra out in front of me, pulling it up my arms slowly after I slid my arms through the straps. He made sure the cups were in their correct place before flattening his hands over the side strap of the bra to the back where he latched it in place. "Let's go get some breakfast," Steve whispered against the back of my head before he removed his hands from my body and stepped away. I looked over my shoulder watching as the towel that had been wrapped around his waist fell to the floor, giving me a great view of his backside as he walked into his closet. I grabbed my brush and some bobby pins from my bag deciding an updo would have to do since I hadn't grabbed my blow dryer. After fixing my hair into a quick bun I added some eyeliner, mascara, blush, and my favorite red lipstick. As I stepped into my dress and pulled it up my body Steve emerged from his closet with a sinfully tight, light blue button down shirt and a pair of dark wash jeans that fit him just right.

"Zip me up?" I asked as I turned my back towards him. Steve walked over, placing a kiss between my shoulder blades before pulling the zipper up on the back of my dress.

"Let's go eat breakfast and then we'll head out," Steve said as his hands ran over the curves of my figure. I turned around, ready to kiss him but he was already gone.

~.~

After eating breakfast Steve showed me around the city before pulling into the parking lot of a huge brick stone home on the outskirts of town. "Where are we?"

"I wanted you to get the chance to meet someone that means a lot to me," Steve said, pussyfooting around a direct answer. Steve held his hand out to me, waiting for me to place my hand in his before leading me through the small parking lot.

"Mr. Rogers, Good to see you've made it back." the nice lady at the front desk spoke with a bright smile.

"Hello Cassie," Steve smiled.

"She hasn't gotten any better since the last time you were here," Cassie said to Steve. He nodded his head before hanging it slightly in defeat before looking back at the nice woman who had been delivering the news.

"I'd like to see her if it's alright," Steve's voice sounded slightly sad.

Cassie gave him a small nod before holding her hand out as to direct us where to go, "She'll be happy to see you."

I followed behind Steve as he navigated the halls of the beautiful building, climbing a set of stairs before pausing outside a door that had looked the same as the rest. The door was no different from any other one around us but, it was apparent the contents behind the door meant something to Steve. He gave my hand a light squeeze before releasing it and reaching for the doorknob.

"Steve!" A beautiful but weak voice called out to him as he stepped through the frame. "How are you doing, Love?"

"I'm doing well, Peg. Much better than the last time you saw me," Steve smiled as he stood at the foot of the bed. I stayed in my place, leaning in the doorway as I watched Steve's face light up as he faced his first true love. I would never hold a candle next to the woman who was bedridden in front of him. Though time had passed you could still see the unwavering love that blossomed in his eyes as he looked at the woman before him.

"Straying from the theatrics, huh?" Peggy joked causing Steve to let out a chuckle.

"I've brought someone to meet you, Peggy," Steve said as he held his hand out to me, summoning me from my place in the doorway. I grasped his hand, my eyes staying on his, finding strength in the way he looked at me, the proudness in his features as he looked my way. It brought me hope that one day I could stand a chance to mean as much to him as she did. "This is Jolene," he softly spoke, his eyes still glued to mine a few moments more before looking away at the woman he was speaking to. I closed my eyes, finding strength to face the woman who held my lover's heart first.

"Hello, Ms. Carter," I said looking up from the floor. She was well past her prime but her youth still shined in her eyes.

"Jolene, it is a genuine pleasure to meet you. Were you frozen for seventy years as well?" she joked. "I'm kidding. You do look like you walked straight out of the 40s though," Peggy laughed until being hit by a coughing spell. "Could you fetch me some water, sweetheart?" she asked through a wheeze.

"Absolutely," I said taking a step towards the door.

"Rubbish! Steve can get it," she said in a stronger voice, "Sit down. I'd like to have a chat." I gave Steve a wary glance before making a move to take the seat next to her bed. Steve gave us both a nod before leaving the room to get some water. "He's arse over tit for you, you know?" she said with a smile and chuckle.

"Pardon me?" I asked, unsure of what she was saying.

"I can tell he loves you," her voice dropped an octave, taking a quieter tone.

"I-You were first. I-I mean he still loves you," I stumbled through my words.

"And I still love him," she replied as she rested her head back against her pillow and looked at the ceiling. "Your first love is a hard one to forget," she said looking over at me. "I was engaged to be married before I met Steve. Thought I knew what love was. He changed that. Changed me," she smiled before looking up at the ceiling once more. "It was over before it had the chance to begin, though," she said as a sadness took over her features. "That feeling of loss lived with me forever. It wasn't my loss that haunted me, though. I lived my life. I was able to move on, fall in love again, get married, have children, grow old. I was happy. But that loss that haunted me was for him, Steve. It was his loss, his sacrifice. He gave himself so I could have all of that. He saved the whole entire world from mass destruction. He never got to live a full life. That's what haunted me," she paused, looking back at me. "That loss turned to guilt the moment he stepped through that doorway. He was so broken, lost in a world he no longer knew. It seemed as though even though he'd survived, he'd never have that chance to live life like it was meant to be lived," she paused again, a tear falling from her eye and over her perfectly wrinkled skin. "Until you," she smiled once again.

"Peggy," I started to respond.

"No Jolene, you have no idea how grateful I am for you," Peggy cut me off. "You are giving Steve that chance of life I couldn't give him. I was so worried he'd never find someone, he'd never let anyone get that close to him again," she held her hand out to me. "Thank you." We sat for a few minutes in silence, as she held my hand in her frail one before speaking again, "Sharon?"

"I'm sorry, who?" I asked, puzzled by the question.

"Sharon, where have you been?" Peggy asked as she pulled on my hand, trying to sit up.

"Whoa, Peggy," I said releasing her hand and holding my hand up for her to stop her attempt.

"Oh come on Sharon, help me sit up. I just had a child, I'm not crippled for God sake," Peggy said sounding annoyed. Steve came around the corner just as I stood up from my chair. "Steve? Where have you been?"

"I was getting some water for you, Peg," Steve replied, rushing to her side with a glass.

"No, you- you were gone. How are you alive?" Peggy said with amazement in her eyes. "Sharon, you remember my Steve right?" she asked looking back at me.

"Sharon?" I was completely puzzled.

"Who's Sharon?" Steve asked looking from Peggy to me.

"Steve, you don't remember Sharon Smith?" Peggy asked looking from me to Steve. "She patched up your friend after you rescued him."

"The nurse?" Steve asked Peggy before looking back at me.

"She knew my grandmother?" I asked Steve before looking back at Peggy. "Sharon Smith?"

"What? Have you forgotten your own name?" She scoffed before laughing. "Been hitting that scotch with Dugan again?" she laughed again before coughing badly this time. The monitors began to come to life as she continued to cough, struggling to catch her breath. Steve ran from the room in search of help as I grabbed her hand pleading with God to help her lungs find air. She took a deep breath of air, he body relaxing before she looked back at me, "Jolene?"

"Yes. Yes, Peggy, it's me. Why don't we get you that glass of water Steve tracked down?" I smiled, standing up.

Peggy squeezed my hand tightly in hers, not allowing me to move and causing me to look back at her. "I'm not getting any younger here. Do this old lady a favor, take care of Steve for me, will you please?"

"I promise," I replied as the both of us shared a warm smile and our hearts shared an understanding of one another. Steve came up to my side, glass in hand for Peggy.

"Here you go, Peg," Steve said with a warm smile but the smile didn't reach his beautifully blue eyes. His eyes held the pain that the rest of him was hiding under a smile as warm as the sun.

"I hate to be rude but I'm exhausted," Peggy sighed after taking a gulp of her water.

"Get some sleep. I'll try to make a visit soon," Steve said before placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Soon is never really soon enough when it comes to you, Steve," Peggy said in a weak voice. Steve's nodded his head, tightening his lips together and dropping his head to look at the floor. "I know you're a busy man. The world needs saving, Steve." Peggy added causing Steve to look back up at her. "I just have one last request before you go," She smiled.

"Anything for my best girl," Steve replied before his eyes darted to me, searching my face for any sign of hurt feelings. I gave him a smile and nod letting him know I understood before Steve turned his attention back to Peggy.

"Can I finally get that dance?" She asked.

"Absolutely," Steve said with a smile that held just the slightest sadness, his eyes pricking with tears.

Steve pulled his phone from his pocket, tapping on the screen until a slow 40s tune began. He sat the phone down on the end of Peggy's hospital bed before walking over to the side of the bed and wrapping his strong arms around her frail body. He lifted her from the bed, pulling her against his chest to help her stand before beginning to sway back and forth. I took that as my queue to exit, giving them a moment to themselves as they shared what could be the only dance they would ever have together.

"You know how to dance, Steve!" Peggy nearly exclaimed as I leaned against the wall outside of the doorway.

"I've had some help," Steve snorted.

"Jolene?" Peggy asked.

"Yeah, I almost didn't let her. You were supposed to be the one to teach me, Peg," Steve stumbled through talking. I could sense he was apologetic to the woman he was dancing with and my heart nearly broke in two.

"I'm glad you let her, Steve," Peggy paused letting out a cough before continuing. "She's good for you, the perfect fit. I'm glad you finally are getting the chance to live the life you deserve. And although I've just met her, I'm quite fond of this one." I smiled to myself, my cracking heartwarming in my chest at her admission to the one I loved.

"So do I," I could hear the smile in his voice, making tears come to my eyes. "She makes me feel...normal."

"You aren't normal, Steve. And I don't mean the serum. You are an exceptional man and she is quite the lucky young lady," Peggy said making me smile a little bigger. She was right and I could feel the connection between her and I. We saw Steve the same. We didn't see the super soldier everyone else in the world seen. We saw the man he was, the man he is.

"I'm the lucky one," Steve said as his voice wavered. "When I came out of the ice I thought I had lost that all because I lost the chance with you. But she was like an angel sent to earth, giving me the second chance at life."

"Steve, I was your first love, your best gal, but her. She's going to be your greatest love, your one and only gal. She's the right partner you've been looking for," Peggy answered before the music stopped. "Now put this old lady back in her bed and go to her. It's time to let go of this chapter, our chapter. You've got a book left to write with her."

"Thank you," Steve's voice broke. I heard the creak of the mattress as he laid her back down. "Bye Peg."

"Go on, get to writing," Peggy said, warmth and happiness pouring through each word. "Goodbye, my sweet Steve." She whispered as I heard Steve's shuffling feet in the room.

Steve came through the door catching me off guard as I thought over the talk I had with Peggy. "You ready?" he asked as he looked over to me, tears brimming his eyes. I gave him a quick nod, lacing my fingers through his extended hand and followed him out to the parking lot.

After climbing into the cab of the truck, Steve didn't say a word. I felt half tempted to say something until I looked over at to find him blindly looking ahead, tears no longer brimming his eyes but trailing down his face. "Steve," I breathed out as I turned in my seat to face him. Steve didn't look at me, his bottom lip trembling slightly as the tears threatened to spill more. "Look at me. Please," I pleaded. He turned his head, his blue eyes now crystal clear as the tears spilled from them. I leaned over the middle console, cupping my hand behind his head and pulling it to my shoulder. "Let it out," I whispered as I stroked his quivering back.

"It's so hard," he mumbled against my shoulder. "Leaving her. I've missed enough of her life. And now I have to walk away every time, just to live mine," Steve's body shook as he released all the sadness held within his tightly knit body.

"Steve," I choked out. It was torture watching him break down like this.

"She wants me to go on living my life," he said as he loosened the hold he had on my back. "That's what she told me after you left."

"She's lived hers, Steve," I replied as he pulled back, his water filled eyes looking up at me through his lashes. "She just wants you to live yours. There is nothing about that, that is wrong. She's lived a wonderful life from what I can tell. She isn't sad about it, so you shouldn't be either. She's happy that you are getting the chance to live your life Steve, don't make this a sad thing, " I said as I placed my hand on his cheek, wiping away a stray tear.

"I just never know when it will be the last time," Steve said through shaking lips.

"I know," I wiped another tear from his cheek, my own eyes filling with tears as I watched Steve's impossibly long-lashed fill with water as he closed his eyes again. He wasn't so much broken over her wanting him to live as much as he was afraid of losing her for forever, all over again. She may not be his love any longer, but she was very much one of his best friends right now. "I know," I whispered again as I reached forward again, taking a broken Steve in my arms and trying so desperately to hold him together. I didn't know how much time Peggy had left but I had given her a promise and I was determined to keep it regardless of Peggy's life status. I admired the woman I had just met and I would do my best making sure her faith in me wouldn't be ill placed.

We sat in the parking lot of the retirement home for close to an hour. Steve cried, shared memories of Peggy, and shared what he had dreamed his life to have been when he planned on sweeping Peggy off of her feet. It wasn't as hard to listen to as what I thought it would be. She was an outstanding woman. I knew in my mind and heart that _I would never fill the shoes of Peggy Carter, but the shoes I could fill were Peggy Carter approved._

~.~

The drive home was quiet for the most part. Steve let me drive, his eyes burning from tears and feeling emotionally exhausted. When we had arrived back at his apartment he had headed straight for his shower and I ran down to the store on the corner to get some things for dinner. When I arrived back at the apartment Steve was still in the shower and I made use of my time alone by whipping up some grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. I had just finished setting our prepared dishes on the breakfast bar when Steve emerged from the bedroom in brown sweatpants and a white t-shirt.

"Grilled cheese and soup?" Steve asked as he sat down on the stool next to me.

"Yeah. My mom and I used to eat this when I was upset or sick," I answered.

"Are you either right now?" Steve asked, looking over at me as he picked up his spoon and stirred his soup.

"I'm just sad," I said before taking a spoonful of soup in my mouth.

"Jolene," Steve said as he rested his spoon against the rim of the bowl and turned in his chair to face me. "I didn't realize how hard it would be. She's never been that bad before." He's shoulders hunched forward making him look defeated as he reached out and grabbed my left hand. He wrapped my hand in both of his, his fingers fiddling with my Mother's wedding band that was on my index finger. "I'm sorry for breaking down like that on you," he sighed looking up from our hands. "I really wanted two of the most important people in my life to meet each other before life didn't allow that."

"Steve," I began trying to speak but Steve quickly cut me off.

"No, you need to hear this after today," he said sternly. "I don't want my reactions today to make you feel inferior to Peggy. You mean no less to me than she does. In fact, you mean just as much if not more."

"Steve, you don't.-" I started again.

"No, I need to explain myself. Please," he said with begging eyes.

"Steve, you don't have to explain yourself. You've said more than needed to be said. I'm in no competition with Peggy. On paper I don't hold a candle to her," I said before Steve cut me off again.

"But in my heart you...you are the flame that is still burning," he said squeezing my hand lightly as to not hurt me with his brute strength.

"I know," I smiled. Steve smiled softly, that glimmer of adoration in his eyes showing bright. "Peggy's your first love. It's to be expected that you would have that kind of reaction. And if I'm being honest, it's kind of nice to see you give in to a breakdown. Most men wouldn't do that," I squeezed his hand back. "You Steve Rogers, have a big heart. And that heart is large enough to love twice. And although I came into your life second, I doubt that you'd love me less than the first," I smiled at him as his smile grew.

"Thank you for understanding me to so well. I'm starting to think you know me better than I know myself," he chuckled.

"Maybe. Now eat," I smiled, realizing I sounded a lot like my grandmother.

"Did you hear my stomach growl?" Steve asked with a raised eyebrow and smirk on his face before taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"Nope, just know you well enough to know when my man needs to eat," I winked at him before taking a bite of my food.

~.~

I walked out of the bathroom dressed in his light blue dress shirt from earlier in the day. "I never noticed this before," I said as I walked over to the far corner of his room. It sat in the corner, blocked by pictures that lay against the front of it. An acoustic guitar. As I moved the pictures around it I noticed it was a Gibson but it looked quite old.

"That was...is Bucky's," Steve corrected himself.

"Oh," I said as I retracted my hand from its neck. "I didn't mean to be nosey."

"It's fine," Steve said as a forced smile graced his face. He turned in bed, laying on his side to face me before continuing, "I almost forgot that I had it." The look on his face was sorrowful as if he was remembering something from a previous life. "He used to serenade his lady friends. He was such a ladies man," he shook his head with a sad grin.

"Did he ever teach you?" I asked as I leaned against the wall next to the guitar.

"No, probably should have gotten some lessons. Maybe that would've helped me catch a date every once in a while on my own," he snorted. "I was more into my art anyway," he paused.

"Do you mind?" I asked gesturing towards the guitar in an attempt to ask for permission to touch it.

"Can you play?" Steve asked as he propped himself against the headboard. "Of course, you can," he chuckled to himself as I sat at the foot of the bed and began tuning the classic Gibson.

The day had been a rough yet beautiful one. All the emotions still so very fragile from our lovemaking and the heartbreak of seeing Peggy have one of her spells. I had a lot of questions from when Peggy had spoken of my grandmother but those would wait for now. Steve's feelings were still so very raw from his breakdown earlier in the day and I didn't want to trigger any more unwanted memories for him right now. Although emotions had been running on high today, the day had it's high moments as well. Steve was able to open himself so much more today and I couldn't have felt more connected to him. A song popped into my head that I had always loved but the words meant so much more now that I had Steve in my life. The words could be spoken from me or from Peggy and that only made me want to sing it for him even more. I finished tuning the guitar before strumming out the first three eight counts before singing the words that came straight from my heart.

 _Whenever I'm alone with you_ _  
_ _You make me feel like I am home again_ _  
_ _Whenever I'm alone with you_ _  
_ _You make me feel like I am whole again_ _  
_ _Whenever I'm alone with you_ _  
_ _You make me feel like I am young again_ _  
_ _Whenever I'm alone with you_ _  
_ _You make me feel like I am fun again_

 _However far away I will always love you_ _  
_ _However long I stay I will always love you_ _  
_ _Whatever words I say I will always love you_ _  
_ _I will always love you_

I turned to look at Steve once I had finished singing the song only to find him fast asleep with that beautifully peaceful look on his face. I sat the beloved guitar back in its place in the corner before crawling up next to Steve and letting his heartbeat and breathing lull me to sleep like my voice had done for him.

 **A/N: I just want to say I am SO SORRY it has taken me so long to update but I've been in the process of moving and trying to get my house back in order. If you are still with you I want to say Thank you so much for sticking with me! And if you have left a review on the past 8 chapters THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! You have no idea how much that fuels me to write more! So seriously, thank you from the bottom of my Steve Rogers Lovin' Heart :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Stand By Me - Ben E. King

The trip home from D.C. was insightful, to say the least. I learned that Peggy and my grandmother were very close while overseas and that Bucky had a huge crush on her. Steve swore he hadn't put the pieces together but upon Peggy's flashback, he remembered her. He said I looked a lot like her which is probably what caused Peggy to fall back to that time. Steve was very forthcoming with stories from the war and some humorous tales of his best friend trying his best to hit on my grandmother. When we reached the city it felt like time had flown right by and I really wasn't ready for us to head back to reality. But here I was sitting behind the bar, back at work, warding off the unwanted attention of the douchebag who had single-handedly brought Steve into my life.

"So spill it, how was your trip?" Caroline grilled me.

"It was wonderful," I said with a wide smile spreading across my face. I let my mind wander back to the candlelit take-out dinner and Steve's laughter, wishing I was back there once again.

"You're glowing, Joe," Car said, interrupting my daydream.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said as I tried to avoid her and began washing some of the dirty glasses.

"You totally did it!" she nearly shrieked.

"Hush, keep your voice down," I barked out at her before taking a glance around the bar and letting out a sigh of relief as Don, our last patron of the night, walked out the door.

"Oh, I'm coming over tonight after work. I want all the dirty details," she deviously smiled.

"There are no dirty details to discuss," I replied, making sure to stress the word 'dirty'. I dried my hands before throwing the towel at Caroline and sticking my tongue out at her in a childlike way. I let my mind wander back to that moment when things shifted for Steve and me, the moment we gave each other everything we had left to give. I couldn't picture anything more perfect than that time where we became one. It wasn't something I could even put into words and I didn't know how I could convey that to Caroline even if I tried. The only way to describe it was perfect.

~.~

"So how was he?" Caroline asked as she plopped down on my couch.

"Caroline!" I blushed, "I don't see how sharing his sex skills is any of your business."

"Oh come on! I already told you, Gib is it for me so I've got to vicariously live through you now. Please," she begged. I rolled my eyes as I walked back into my bedroom, changing into some comfy shorts and a tank before walking back out to join her on the couch. "Was he like super dominant? Oooooh did he use some of that brute strength to manhandle you?" she asked wiggling her eyebrows.

"Car! Oh my God, you are nuts," I chuckled as she handed me my glass of wine she had poured.

"I bet it was super romantic then," she thought aloud. "Were there candles?"

"Well..." I smiled.

"Of course there were candles. Does this man fail at anything?" she sighed. "So there were candles, what else?"

"It wasn't some elaborate thing. It was simple but romantic and it just felt completely natural," I replied. "It was just perfect, Car."

"Was it perfect or was he perfect? How perfect is he? I mean I've seen the man's feet!" Caroline asked trying to dig a little bit deeper.

"I'll just say he was very impressive," I coyly answered.

"And what does very impressive detail?" she continued.

"Oh my God Car, I'm not going to tell you his dick size! I don't want you thinking of his junk every time you see him," I chuckled.

"Why the hell not? It's not like I wasn't already lookin'! I mean the man is hard not to check out." she said wiggling her eyebrows for effect.

"You aren't going to leave this alone are you?" I asked which received a shake of her head. "Let's put it this way...He's well above average."

"So the serum helped enlarge more than just his muscle mass and height huh?" she grinned. "How in the hell are you even walking then? I'd assume he used some of that strength to pound you into the next town. Add in the fact that man is fucking packing, you should be walking funny for the rest of the god damn year!" I shook my head in disbelief as she sat and pondered some more before adding, "Well remind me to call your Gyno tomorrow. I'm sure something needs to be replaced because he's bound to have pounded something loose."

"Jesus fucking Christ, Caroline!" I shouted.

"What?" she said giving me a devious smile.

"He wasn't rough with me at all so drop the crazy shit," I shook my head.

"Not even a little?" she asked in disbelief, "Unbelievable! This man has the strength of a God and he's not even being resourceful with it in the bedroom. Tell him it's time to drop the gentleman charade and manhandle your ass a little. I'm done with this nice guy bullshit, we need the real deal."

"Soooooo...How are things with you and Gib? How is the wedding planning going?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"Gib has been working a lot to help build up our budget for the wedding but," she began but then paused, "Wait a hot minute. I see what you are trying to do here. We aren't done talking about Captain Huge Cock yet."

"Yes, we are," I replied.

"Um, no we're not. You haven't even told me how many mindblowing orgasm he induced. Did he go down on you? I bet he's an A+ in the oral department. All business and smooth talking with that mouth but it's best work is doing dirty things to you. It's aways the quiet and reserved ones that have the most talent behind closed doors," she rambled on.

"More than enough and he didn't. Can we stop with this yet?" I sighed. I didn't have a problem sharing this kind of information with my best friend. She was more of a sister to me than anything but I knew there were some things that were better left not shared, at least for Steve's privacy. Yes, girls are bound to share things with their besties but the fact that Steve was a virgin was something that didn't need to be shared with anyone else but Steve and I and I intended to keep it that way.

"Okay, I get it. You don't wanna share. But since you brought up the wedding, I hope you like the color eggplant," she said sitting her glass of wine down on the coffee table and crossing her arms as she sat back and gave me a challenging look.

"You're the bride," I replied before taking a sip of my wine and shrugging my shoulders. A hideous bridesmaid's dress I could handle, betraying Steve's privacy and trust was something I couldn't.

"So the wedding invitation...Is that a plus one now?" she smiled.

"Most definitely," I replied, unable to fight the smile on my face.

I wasn't aware I had fallen asleep on the couch. The last I had known, I was watching The Notebook with Car as we sipped on wine. She was gone now, the living room only lit with the small glow from the TV and a knock on the door the only noise filling the apartment. "Coming," I shouted as I stood up from the couch and stretched. I glanced at the clock on the stove as I walked towards the door. It was close to six in the morning, the sun would be rising soon. I opened the door to find Steve standing there. He was in his superhero gear, head hung low until I had opened the door completely. When he looked up I could see the condition he was in. His blemish-free skin covered in soot and dirt, his hair a mess from his helmet and his lip split open, the blood dried but not cleaned up. "Steve?"

"I just wanted to see you," his voice was low, his eyes holding a look of defeat.

"Come in," I said as I stood back and held the door open for him. He paused a moment in front of me, looking at me as if he was contemplating something before leaning forward and pressing his lips on mine. "Did you just get back?"

"Yeah," he replied as he rested his shield against the back of my couch.

"You must be starved. Let me fix something for you," I said. Steve looked like he was going to say something but he closed his mouth, unable to argue with me. "Why don't you go get a shower. I'm sure you'll feel better once you've washed away the mission," I smiled at him. Steve didn't reply just nodded his head before heading down the hall to my bedroom.

Seeing that it was early morning, I decided to go with an old favorite, biscuits and homemade gravy. I put the biscuits in the oven and threw a small portion of sausage in a pot to cook as I walked back to my bedroom and got some clothes from the drawer that was designated with my father's stuff. I sat the items on the edge of my bed and headed back to the kitchen to finish Steve's meal.

I plated Steve's food and sat it on the table. It had been a while since he had gotten in the shower and he still hadn't emerged which worried me. I put his plate in the microwave to stay warm before heading to my bedroom. As I entered the room I could hear the shower still running in my bathroom so I went in to check on him. The steam of the hot water had fogged over everything in the room but I could just barely see his silhouette through the shower door. He wasn't moving, just standing under the stream of water with his head hung. I contemplated calling out his name and making my presence known but decided against it before stripping myself. When I opened the door of the shower his head lifted slightly, just enough to see who was entering. Although I couldn't see all of his face I could see enough to tell he was upset. He was still covered in the soot from the mission and his eyes were now rimmed in red. "Steve, what's going on?" I asked as I stepped into the shower and stood in front of him. "What is it, babe?" It was seldom when anything got to the God-like man in front of me, which was why it scared me when it did. I waited as patiently as I could as he stood there not saying a word. "Steve, please talk to me," I begged, cupping his jaw in my hands and forcing him to look up at me.

"The mission," he paused, "It was Rumlow. He left a trail for us to find him. Led us straight to him," he sighed. "It was too easy. I should've known he was going to do something." Steve shook his head at himself. "He led us to this apartment building, we got the place evacuated, or so we thought. When I walked into the apartment there was a father and son sitting at the kitchen table. Rumlow had taken them hostage. He was talking, walking around them sitting there. He went on about how the apartment used to be a Hydra safe spot, years ago. Then he started talking about Bucky." I felt his jaw clench under my fingers and watched as the rest of him tensed as well. "It was like the whole world fell away. Like the only thing that mattered at that moment wasn't getting the hostages to safety, but hearing anything about Bucky, searching for clues in his words. He did it to sidetrack me and succeeded. The next thing I knew he had put a blade through the father's chest."

"Oh my God," I gasped.

"The kid started screaming, crying harder than he was before and Rumlow smacked him. When he pulled the knife from the father, he tipped him out of the chair and to the floor where the son joined his father, crying over his lifeless body." Steve's strong facade finally broke as his shoulders shuttered with a hidden sob. "That's when I pounced on Rumlow. I don't know what exactly happened, it all happened so fast. I kept shouting at the kid to run but he wouldn't leave his Dad's side. Then there was a huge explosion. It blew me out of the window, Rumlow too. But that little boy, he was still in there. He didn't make it."

"Oh, Steve," I quietly sobbed. I pressed my forehead against his and wrapped my arms around his neck, trying to convey my sympathy to him. I couldn't begin to imagine what he was feeling but I could only imagine the guilt he was feeling. Steve was beating himself up over it and I could most definitely tell.

"I couldn't save him or his Dad. Too wrapped up in Rumlow and my selfishness to find clues to where Bucky might be. Maybe I shouldn't be doing this anymore, Jolene." he said as he lifted his top lids to connect our eyes.

"Steve, with your job, you try to save as many people as you can and sometimes that doesn't mean everybody," I said as I tried to calm his demons. "If you can't find a way to live with that, next time, maybe nobody gets saved."

"I know," he sighed as he took a step back away from me and began to turn to face the stream of water again.

I cupped his face, making him turn his head back toward me before saying, "Steve, you are such a strong person. Not only physically but also emotionally. I know you stay strong emotionally not only for yourself but for everyone around you and the world. But here, with me, you don't have to be. You are the rock for everyone you know, but for once, let someone else be a rock for you, let me be that rock. You have the weight of the world on your shoulders and that's a heavy load to carry. Let me bear some of that weight for you. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here for you always."

"Thank you," he said before turning his body to face me once again.

"I love you," I replied before placing a soft kiss on his lips. "Now let's get you cleaned up and fed so we can curl up in bed. You need some rest."

That day Steve let me take care of him. I bathed him not only in soap but in love. He didn't lift a finger while he showered, I cleaned him completely. And while this kind of scenario would usually be considered in a sexual manner, this time was not. I knew he was exhausted both physically and emotionally, he deserved this. I catered to him, bringing him his meal in bed after I had reheated it. I sang him to sleep as his head rested on my chest and his arm held me close. Steve was always so busy looking after the world that it was about time someone started looking after him and I was more than happy to be the one to do it.


	11. I've Got The World On A String

I've Got The World On A String - Frank Sinatra

A/N: I just wanted to give a shoutout to those that left reviews last chapter :) Thank you Avestuz, Valerie E. Mackin, RckyFrk, and Gilyflower! Thank you so much for sticking around and reading! And thank you for leaving me a review letting me know you are enjoying this story. It means more than you know, to know someone is reading and liking this story I'm working on. It helps me find the motivation to write when I get the chance :) So again, Thank you so much, from the bottom of my Steve Rogers loving heart!

My phone ringing woke me from my slumber and I wanted to throw the damn thing out the window. I had been having the best dream capable before I was awakened, Steve and I were having a picnic in a field of wildflowers, the sun shining brightly and making Steve's impeccably blue eyes even bluer, if that were even possible.

"Hello?" I grumpily mumbled into the receiver after knocking numerous things off of my nightstand in my blind search for my phone.

"Hello, Birthday Girl!" Caroline chipperly squealed over the phone. I cracked an eye, looking at my phone to check the date. Sure enough, it was my birthday. Somehow I had managed to miss the date as the past month had dragged on. It was understandable, though, my mind had not been running on a straight path lately as my heart occupied a different country. Steve had been on a mission for the past month which hadn't been the easiest on my anxiety. Steve had made it a point to call me every day he could just to ease my mind and for that I was grateful. This time apart did afford me some options of bringing Steve up to date on how nice it was to have the technology we did today. I had given Steve a crash course on what sexting and phone sex were, but not before making a complete ass out of myself first. He was completely adorable about it all, telling me I wasn't the weird one for telling him his voice made me want to touch myself because there was nothing weirder than a 97-year-old being in a 35-year old's body. I called him a cradle robber and we got back to the task at hand. Steve picked it up quite quick but after that initial time, he had the worst timing. He had loved the Snapchat app, taking full advantage of the fact the pictures wouldn't save for the rest of our lives.

"Have you heard from Dick Pic or am I the first person to wish you a happy birthday?" Caroline chuckled. Yeah, Snapchat and Steve were quite entertaining and pleasing to the eye but the timing wasn't so nice.

"Can you please not call him that?" I grumbled out as I sat up in my bed. I could still smell the slight fragrance of the beautiful flowers that had been in my dream and it brought a smile to my face.

"Not my fault he likes Snapchat so much," she laughed. "Did he already beat me to the punch, though?"

"No, you are the first as usual," I laughed as I navigated to my bathroom.

"Are you peeing with me on the phone again, it sounds like you are in a tunnel," Car asked.

"Guilty," I mumbled before putting her on speakerphone and getting my toothbrush ready after finishing with my 'business'.

"They say you are supposed to get a year wiser on your birthday, yet you still seem to have the mindset of a 12-year-old," she chuckled.

"Hey, it's only because I'm so comfortable with you. And well, because you are the shit," I snorted.

"Ha Ha, good one," she said in an unimpressed tone. "Get ready, I'll be over in twenty."

"What are we doing at," I paused looking at the alarm clock, "Is it really already 11 AM?!"

"Yes, Sleepyhead, it is," Caroline said. I could hear the jingle of her keys in the background and knew I was pressed for time. "I'll see you in ten minutes."

"You still have your key right?" I asked.

"You know it," she replied.

"Okay, well then since you can let yourself in I'm going to go hop in the shower," I told her before hanging up on her and heading to the kitchen to start the coffee I'd be needing badly today. The dream I had had of Steve and I must have lingered stronger than intended as the fragrance of flowers got stronger as well. As I approached the end of the hallway I could see exactly where the fragrance was coming from. The room was covered from wall to wall in different flower arrangements. "Steve," I smiled to myself as I looked around for some kind of note. There was no note in sight until I noticed the little brown bag and the to-go coffee cup sitting on my kitchen counter, beside it a folded piece of paper.

I wish I could be there right now but life doesn't always afford us the opportunity to have the things we wish for, however it does grant us the things we need. Just like the air I breathe, you were something I not only longed for but needed most in the world. Thank you for granting me the opportunity to be the luckiest man in the world. Happy Birthday, Beautiful. I hope all your wishes come true today. I love you.

Forever Yours, Steve

A lone tear fell from my eye as I read his letter, it broke my heart that he was so far away, regardless that it was my birthday or not. I longed to be held in his embrace once more, a month was just far too long. Caroline came barreling in the door as I let out a sob.

"Oh, hell no! The Birthday Girl does not cry on my watch!" she said as she ran over and wrapped her arms around me. "Wow, Dick Pic must have put most of the floral shops in the city out of business for the week."

"I miss him," I mumbled against her shoulder as I tried to fight off the tears.

"I know you do," she replied as she stroked my hair. "I wouldn't hold my breath but maybe you'll get a birthday miracle," she said with a weak smile. "But even if that miracle doesn't happen, we've still got a birthday to celebrate. So get your ass in the shower, we've got plans, bitch." I giggled as I pulled back from her wiping my tears from my face and looked around the room one more time. "Put a little pep in your step," she said as she gave me a swat on the ass, "One."

"If you think you are giving me birthday spankings you have lost your God damned mind," I shouted at her as I headed for my room.

"I'll leave all the spanking for Dick Pic to do when he finally gets his ass back here," she said off in the distance.

I jumped in the shower without giving her comment a second thought. I had talked to Steve the night before and from what it sounded like, the mission was far from being over. I knew getting my hopes up to have him here with me today would only be a huge disappointment for myself but my heart still wished he would surprise me.

"So what's the big hurry anyway?" I asked as I walked out from the bathroom, my towel wrapped securely around me.

"A birthday girl deserves to be pampered, right?" Car said from my walk in closet. "Here I think you should wear this." She tossed the royal blue top with the silk bow that tied around the neck and my beige A-line skirt that had a small bow at the waist, on my bed before walking back into my closet for a pair of shoes. I got dressed in my underwear and bra before she came out with beige ballet flats, " The first store we are going to today is a damn lingerie store."

"What did my underwear ever do to you?" I gasped as I dressed.

"Nothing, and I'm sure it's the same for Steve as well," she mumbled under her breath.

"Hey! I haven't ever heard him complain," I retorted.

"Of course he's not going to complain, he's getting laid. The man may be a gentleman but he's still a guy. Once sex is on the table, their brains go to their dicks. But still, something unexpected laying beneath your clothes is always a nice surprise for them. And you," she said as I dressed.

"I don't care about that kind of stuff," I said as I rolled my eyes at her.

"Have you ever slid on a super sexy set of panties and felt the slightest bit sexier?" she asked in complete disbelief. I looked over at her as I brushed my hair, not answering because she'd know the answer is no without even saying anything. "Oh, my sweet, sweet Joe. You have no idea the kind of fun and confidence you are missing out on, my friend." I rolled my eyes once more at her and continued to finish pinning my hair back in a half up style so it could naturally dry. "Oh and don't worry about doing your makeup. We're not going to lift a finger today. Well, besides dressing ourselves," she chuckled.

Caroline ushered me out the door shortly after, taking me to a salon. First, we received pedicures and manicures, followed by getting our hair done. "Are you hungry?" Car asked as we exited the salon.

"Sure," I smiled.

We stopped at a small cafe for a quick bite and my nerves were on edge. It was as though someone was watching me from a distance and I couldn't shake the feeling. "Is Gibson alright?"

"Huh?" she said, a clueless look on her face as she looked up from her phone.

"That's who you're texting to right? Gibson?" I asked.

"Oh, oh yeah. Yeah, he's fine. Just asking how our day is going and what else I have planned for the day," she answered before looking back at her phone and typing out the rest of her message. That feeling came back as soon as she looked back down at her phone. The feeling of eyes on me and I looked around, extremely paranoid of the situation and doing what Nat had told me to do when something like this happened. Nat, I hadn't seen her in a month either. She and I had gotten pretty close over the past few months and she was helping me understand the risk of being with a superhero wasn't just the risk of losing him because he is always put in the line of danger, but that the risk was being his significant other. She had explained to me what had happened to Pepper, the bad guy taking her and using her as a pawn to play against Tony. Ever since she had explained that story to me she had been teaching me self-defense and how to be aware of your surroundings. This was the first time I felt I needed to use what she had taught me. I couldn't find anything while looking around so I did what she had suggested, looking without making it obvious. I took the compact mirror out of my bag, using it to look around and found a man staring at me that was no one I had ever met. He looked suspicious, standing on the street corner in a jacket that was probably one size too big for him, his hair long, his chin scruffy with a week full of growth, a glove on one hand and a blank baseball cap on his head. He was looking directly at me but didn't hold any devious or evil doing in his eyes. His body language and look on his face only gave off the feeling of a scared or nervous man. I turned in my chair to face his way but he disappeared before I could locate him. "Are you okay, Joe?" Caroline's voice startled me, making me jump in my seat.

"Yeah, I just...I thought I seen somebody," I said as I put the compact back in my purse.

"Who?" she asked as she signed the receipt.

"I don't know," I answered. The image of the man was emblazoned in my mind and the more I thought of him, the more I felt that he should have been familiar even though he wasn't. It was very odd.

"Well, we've got two more places to hit before we head back to your place," Caroline said as she stood up and waited for me to do the same. We walked around the corner from the cafe and down the sidewalk of the busy city until Caroline stopped in her tracks in front of a shop that had been painted black. "Agent Provocateur," she nearly sang in a breathy voice. "Come on," she said giddily and grabbed me, dragging me behind her.

The place had a darker tone than most stores, the shelves and tables painted black, only the back mirrored wall and lit showcase walls making the place not seem so dim. The walls and shelves were lined with different types of lingerie, the tables covered in panties. As I drank in the space Caroline got to work pulling different styles of bras, panties, garter belts, corsets and more for me to try on.

"Could I help you?" A very lux woman asked as she walked up to me.

"Oh, I'm just really looking around. Never been in here before," I replied quietly.

"Well if you change your mind and need some help, my name is Nicolette. Please don't hesitate to ask," she smiled before walking away.

"Oh God, Joe! Check this out!" Caroline shrieked, "You've got to try all of this. I promise you'll love it." Caroline walked up to the counter with a bunch of items in her hands, ready to check out and I didn't know if I was relieved or worried she wasn't going to make me try the stuff on in the store.

"And the total is $8,539.32," Nicolette said, making my jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Yes, Mr. Stark said to charge it to his bill," Car said before looking back at me deviously.

"Absolutely not! Caroline, I cannot allow you do to that," I scolded her. "Nicolette, I am truly sorry we've wasted your time."

"Would you like me to hold these items for you until later, Ms. Smith," Nicolette asked as she placed the last item in a bag.

"Oh, that won't be necessary, Nico... Wait, how did you know my name?" I asked, extremely confused since Caroline hadn't said my last name since we had been in the store.

"Oh, Mr. Stark called a short time ago stating you would be visiting and that this was a birthday gift," Nicolette explained. "He said no spending limit and that you would more than likely not accept the gifts."

I sighed, how did Tony know anything about our schedule today..."Caroline...Were you talking to Tony earlier today and not Gib?"

"Maybe," she said giving me the puppy dog look. "He called me a few days ago knowing your birthday was coming up and knew they wouldn't be back in time. He wanted to treat you to a shopping spree. I called him today while I was waiting for you to finish getting your hair done and told him that I was going to bring you here. He said he had a tab here and to let you 'go crazy'." she explained further.

"Well that is quite generous of him but over $8,000 is a bit much. Nicolette, how much is the full set for this one?" I asked her as I held up a black lace bra.

"The Bra, panties, and garter come to a total of $1,768. 97," she smiled as if that was a steal but my mind was completely blown. I didn't know what to do as I stood there and tried to wrap my brain around spending that kind of money on something that not everyone could see, not that Steve wasn't worth it. But I couldn't even fathom spending that much on a wedding gown I'd wear once and everyone would see, but to spend it on something only Steve would see just didn't make sense to me. "Excuse me, Ms. Smith," Nicolette interrupted my thoughts, "Your phone is ringing."

I grabbed my phone from my purse and answered it without even looking at the screen. "$8,500 is fine Mrs. America. Please take the bag on the counter and don't worry about the damage being done to my bank account," Tony's voice came through before I could even say hello.

"Tony, that is just too much," I began to argue.

"No, it's not. Pepper did much worse on her first visit there. I never understood why you would spend so much money on such little fabric, but you won't hear me ever complain about it. Pepper swears by their products and I enjoy the benefits of it. Rogers can thank me later. You enjoy your day and your new stuff. Grab the bag and go. I can't argue with you any longer, I'm being summoned," Tony said before I heard the phone beep with the signaling of him ending the call. Nicolette held out the large bag to me with a smile and I grabbed it after putting my phone back in my purse. I couldn't help but shake my head as we left the store.

"I promise no surprises at the next place," Caroline said as she hailed a cab. We pulled up not too far from my apartment, a small shop that had a worn look to it. "This is where I got that silver dress," she explained as she opened the door for me. "I think you'll love it in here."

The place was similar to a thrift shop I had shopped at when I was younger and that aspect alone made me comfortable immediately. Caroline went about her business looking at items as I lost myself in the racks of vintage clothes. The first thing that stood out to me was the beautiful royal blue satin on one rack. The dress was floor length and looked like it had a slight train, the fit being more of a fitted one. I grabbed it off of the rack after realizing it was my size and held onto it for the fitting room. I searched the store found a few more dresses that had different silhouettes from the dresses I had already had at home. I also found a few beautiful blouses, pencil skirts, trumpet skirts, puddle pushers and fitted flare skirts.

"Here you have to try this on," Car said as she tossed a dress over the door of my fitting room.

"Car, I have enough to try on," I sighed.

"Yeah, but nothing like this," she replied.

I tried on all the clothes finding that most of them fit perfectly. The blue dress had been stunning and I tried to talk myself out of buying the formal dress but my heart made an excuse for why I would need it, so it went into the 'Buy' pile. I picked up the dress Caroline had thrown into my room and figured I'd try it on. The dress was black and clung to every curve of my body. It had thick straps but the neckline plummeted to a stop between my breasts, the back only being fastened by one strap that crossed my shoulder blades. The skirt of the dress was fitted as well, stopping just above my knees but the slit over my left leg coming up high on my thigh. The split in the skirt was not a normal 'peek-a-boo' design as it revealed my leg even in a still stand. "Car, isn't this a bit much? Or should I say too little?" I shouted from my room to get her attention.

"Just come out here so I can see it," she hollered back at me. I took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping out just a few steps so she could see me. "Oh, hell yeah!" she said, wiggling her eyebrows. "That'll put Dick Pic in an early grave."

"I'm not trying to kill my boyfriend. I think there are enough battles he's fighting to survive," I scoffed.

"Joe, I don't think you realize how damn sexy that dress is," she said as she stood up and began walking towards me. "He wouldn't be able to keep his hands off of you. It's like an uber sexy vintage cocktail dress. You have to get that. I mean Stark is always having little shindigs at his place and this is something that would knock the whole damn place dead," she said as she walked around me to assess the dress. "Yeah, if you don't buy that, I'm buying it for you."

After purchasing my items we headed back to my apartment but as we walked inside Car's phone pinged with a message and her whole demeanor changed. "Um, so I'm taking you to dinner and I just realized what time it is, I'll be back at seven to pick you up. Be ready," she said as she typed a reply on her phone. "I'll see you in a little while." And just like that, I was alone again, the sweet fragrance of the flowers that had overtaken my home assaulting my nose with a reminder of the sweet gesture by Steve. And the ache in my chest started again. I sighed, trying to keep my composure in an attempt to salvage my makeup from the makeover at the salon. I took out my phone and found no messages from Steve. Not one notification from him or anyone else but I didn't have much time to think about that when I realized I had forty-five minutes to get ready before Car would be back to go out to dinner with me. I ran to my room, sitting the millions of bags on my bed and noticed a black garment bag with a note attached and beige high heels sitting atop.

~Wear Me~

The note was written in a handwriting I was unfamiliar with so I couldn't guess where it came from since there was no name of who it was from. I looked at the clock seeing that I only had thirty minutes left to get ready and ran off to the bathroom. Thanks to Caroline's pampering day my hair and makeup were done but the day had worn on my hair slightly so I retouched the loose curls and reapplied my lipstick before walking back into my bedroom. I picked up the beige pumps, sitting them on the floor before moving the note off of the garment bag and reaching for the zipper. I slid the zipper slowly down, afraid of catching the material of the garment in the teeth of the zipper. I had just finished pulling the zipper down when my phone pinged with a message from Caroline.

Don't forget your lingerie - C

I rolled my eyes, knowing Steve was half way around the world, I had no reason to get all gussied up.

Why? It's not like someone's going to be undressing me later. - J

You will. Be sexy for yourself. - C

I chuckled but then thought of all the drunkenly naughty sexting that could be had after work tonight. Oh, Steve was most definitely in for it. I threw my phone back down on my bed before dumping out the bag I had acquired from Agent Provocateur. I rummaged through the heap of lace, satin, and sequins before deciding the nude ones would be more fun to tease Steve with.

The fabric was soft and sheer, the push-up cups of the bra not leaving much to the imagination with its nude colored tulle and lace, the shiny silver foil like designs the only thing decorating my breasts. The cheeky brief style panties matching the bra along with the garter belt. I smoothed the nude color thigh high stockings over my legs before latching them in their suspenders. I turned to grab the item in the garment bag but my eye was caught by a flashing in my mirror. I turned more fully to assess myself in my vanity mirror. The shimmer of the silver pieces looked like it had been expertly placed on my bare skin and made me feel fancy as I looked over my outfit. I couldn't help but strike a few poses to make the lights catch the silver just right, making my body sparkle. I grabbed my phone off of my bed, quickly sending Car a thank you text before striking a pose again in the mirror and snapping a few pictures to use later.

A knock at the door notified me that I had spent too much time admiring myself in the mirror and I snatched the garment bag off of the bed and heels off of the floor before heading off to the living room.

"Use your key, Car. I've still gotta get dressed," I hollered out to her as I stood in my living room retrieving the dress out of the bag. The dress was of a dark olive color, the silhouette similar to other dresses I owned but this one much different with its sheer top. Under the sheer cap sleeved top was a sweetheart neckline top of the same olive color. The bottom of the dress was a pencil skirt, a split up the back making it easy to walk. I stepped into the dress, wiggling the material over my full hips before sliding my arms through the sheer fabric and buttoning the two buttons to cover the sweetheart neckline. I gave myself a once over in the full-length mirror in the living room before sliding my feet into my heels and grabbing my things and stuffing them into my beige clutch I just happened to have sitting on the table for some reason. I shook my head wondering who could've done all of this while I was gone with Car, my mind going straight to Nat but she was with Steve so that couldn't have been right. It had to have been Gib, Car must have put him up to it. "Did you forget your keys," I chuckled as I remembered she must have still been standing in the hallway. I opened the door to find not only Caroline but Gibson there too.

"Didn't want to come in and have you half naked. Not trying to give Gib here a show," Caroline said with a wink. "Let's go."

Dinner was nice, they had taken me to a nice Italian restaurant a few blocks from work. The food had been amazing and the atmosphere was delightful as well. We carried on in conversations and laughs but watching the two of them lock eyes with one another had made me miss Steve even more. Though they hadn't made me feel like a third wheel, I felt the void of not having Steve there with me. "I've got to get going. I have to work tonight, unfortunately," I said with a sigh.

"Let us walk you," Gib said as he stood up from the table and waited for us ladies to leave the table.

Gib and I carried a conversation as we headed to the bar, Caroline too busy with her nose in her phone to join in. "Has she been on her phone constantly around you?" I asked Gib as we got to the last block before the bar.

"What do you mean?" he asked me.

"She's been on her phone most of the day. It's just not like her," I explained.

"She's dealing with wedding stuff," he replied as he reached for the bar door. "Ladies first."

"Surprise!" The shouting crowd nearly knocked me on my ass as I jumped in freight. I hadn't been expecting a surprise party since I was scheduled to work tonight. The group looked like they had time traveled here just for my birthday. Everyone had dressed the part, looking like they belonged in the forties with me. Normally I would've wanted to be anywhere but work on a night off but the apparent forties theme party wouldn't have felt right anywhere else but here.

"Gotcha!" Caroline giggled as she walked up and hugged me from behind. "Oh, and you aren't actually scheduled to work tonight."

"You sneaky ass," I smiled at her. I took a step further into the bar only to be swarmed with the crowd who had surprised me. Everyone from a few college friends to all of my coworkers were there and it made my heart warm the slightest at all the hugs and 'Happy Birthdays' I was receiving.

"Happy Birthday, Miss America," the voice said from behind me. I turned to see Tony standing there, a smile plastered on his face and a tiny bag dangling from his finger.

"Tony! I thought you were on your mission," I said as I hugged him.

"And miss a party?" he scoffed as he handed me the tiny bag. "I couldn't bare to give you a birthday gift late. Timing is everything you know," he said with a wink before stepping away.

"Look at you! I knew I did good with that dress," Nat said as she gave me a hug that nearly cracked my back. "Happy Birthday, Joe."

"I was wondering where the hell this dress came from," I laughed before looking over her shoulder at the next person in line. "Sam!" I shouted as he stepped up to me and gave me a bear hug, picking me up off the floor and swinging me around.

"Happy Birthday, Sweetheart," he said against my ear. "Hope you've got your dancing shoes on," he said as he sat me back down.

"These aren't exactly swing dancing shoes," I replied.

"Ah, well then Maureen did good picking this up for you," he said as he handed me a bag. "Here's a hint...their shoes," he chuckled.

"Thank you, Sam. Is she here with you?" I asked looking around behind him and seeing Clint and Thor instead.

"She's at work right now, but she said she'd be here after she gets out," he said with a smile.

"Is Steve here?" I asked him as I sat the bag I had in my hands on the bar with the rest of the gifts and cards.

"He didn't come back with us," Sam said, making my heart drop into my stomach as I switched out the beige pumps for the beige T-strap shoes Sam had given me.

"What do you mean he didn't come back?" I asked as my bottom lip trembled the slightest.

"Oh no! No, he's fine," he replied as he desperately tried to calm my worried heart down. "Come on, let's dance," he said trying to change the subject. I nodded my head as I fought back the tears that had gathered in my eyes. "You lead the way, Birthday Girl," Sam said as he gave me a bright smile and the cover band began playing 'Witchcraft', the lead singer mimicking Frank Sinatra perfectly.

As I headed to the dance floor people parted like the Red Sea. It wasn't until I had reached the edge of the dance floor that I had seen him. "Steve," I breathed out as all the air in my lungs left my body. He looked breathtaking as he stood in the middle of the dance floor, dressed in his Army best. The uniform suit was a dark olive green color, similar to mine, the pants tailored to fit him just right and the jacket just the same. His hair was perfectly parted and combed to their sides. He looked just as though he had stepped out of the old photographs I had seen at the Museum.

"Happy Birthday, Jolene," he smiled as he held out his hand for me to join him.

My feet couldn't move fast enough as I ran towards him. "Steve," I nearly sobbed as my body crashed into his and my arms wrapped around his neck. He held me tightly in place as I buried my face into the crook of his neck and breathed him in for the first time in what felt like forever. I forgot about all of the people around me, the world around me, as I felt relief consume me and my body molded into his.

"Care to dance?" Steve whispered in my ear as the band switched to another joyous Sinatra tune. I pulled back as Steve smiled at me, his eyes watering slightly as he placed his hand on my lower back and grasped my hand with his other one. "I've been itching to see you for the past two days," he said as he began to lead us in a dance.

"Two days? You've been home for two days?" I asked feeling myself getting angry over holding out on me for so long. Two days was forty-eight hours I could've had him in my arms once more.

"Well, not really. I got in yesterday afternoon. Spent most of the day trying to get everything set up for today," he explained. I could feel the corners of my lips fighting with me as I tried to hold back a smile. "I wanted to visit you last night but Nat stopped me."

"Why?" I asked.

"She knew I'd blow the surprise party," he paused, "That, and it'd take away from the surprise of me being here for your birthday. Something about that would be the biggest surprise of all if I would just listen to her," he chuckled.

"Well, she was definitely right," I smiled. "I'm so glad you are home." He leaned down, placing his lips on mine for a kiss. I felt as though I could breathe again as he melted my worries away with his lips. The kiss was cut short as he whipped me out away from him after releasing my back, then tugging on my arm and making me spin into his arms. He held me there, my back pressed against his chest as his lips hovered over my ear and his low voice sang along with the lyrics.

I've got the world on a string, sittin' on a rainbow

Got the string around my finger

What a world, what a life, I'm in love

He held both of my hands, one of his arms raising over my head to twirl me away from his body before tugging me back to him and returning one hand to my lower back. "I may have been practicing with Nat during our down time," he smiled at the shock on my face. We had danced a lot but I was always the one to lead, he hadn't felt comfortable with dancing too much before his trip. "I studied a lot while I was gone," he whispered in my ear, his deepened voice sending chills down my spine. "But I'll have to show you the rest when we are alone," his voice dropped even lower, filled with sex as the words slipped from his lips. He pulled away from my ear to look at me as I thought over his words. The worried look on my face must have given away what I was thinking since he added, "Oh, I didn't practice any of that with anyone. I've saved practicing that, for you." He gave me a wink before catching me off guard and dipping me.

"Did Captain America watch porn on his mission?" I giggled as he pulled me back up. I had been joking with him but the look on his face had said it wasn't a joke. "Oh," I said as my eyes widened.

"Mind if I cut in?" Sam asked after tapping on Steve's shoulder. Steve gave him a nod before giving me a quick kiss on the lips and disappearing into the crowd that had developed in the bar. "Surprised?"

"Definitely," I smiled at him as a slow song began. "How was the mission?"

"It was really a bunch of small missions, closing up loose ends," he answered.

"I really need to ask Maureen how she does it," I asked as we swayed to the slow ballad the band was playing.

"Does what?" Sam replied.

"How she handles you being gone for such an extended amount of time," I answered.

"She keeps herself busy for the most part. Same goes for us. What's that saying?" he paused, "Oh yeah, An idle mind is the devil's play thing," he smiled. "My mom used to say that all the time. Never knew what she was talking about until I was overseas. The busier you keep yourself the less time you have to worry. That little nagging voice in your head making you worry about the worst case scenario, you gotta learn to ignore it, or at least keep it at bay the best you can." I understood what he was saying and wrote myself a mental note to remember it for next time. Right now I didn't need to worry, the object of my affection was currently out of harm's way and sitting at the end of the bar nursing a longneck, eyes sparkling in the dim lighting of the bar as he watched me dance with one of his best friends. I gave him a wink before Sam twirled me around to face away from Steve.

The next song that came on had a kick to it as the beat sped up and the band got louder. The background singers came to the center mic before they began harmonizing to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. I looked at Sam who gave me a wink and nod of his head that he was ready to break it down. I giggled as he swung me away from his body before pulling me back again to the side before repeating the motion again for the other side. We were a mess of arms as we swung and spun each other around before an arm wrapped around my waist pulling me away from my dance partner. As I spun around I realized Steve was now taking Sam's place, surprising me once again as he took the lead in a swing dance as well.

"Well aren't you just full of surprises, Captain," I laughed as the song ended and he stopped our dance with a dip.

"Anything for you," he smiled. As the next song started he tugged on my arm, leading me through the crowd that had filled the dance floor and surrounding areas. He turned down the hallway, pulling me into the backstage room where I usually got ready for my sets. The room was dark and Steve fumbled through the darkness to find the switch for the tiny side table lamp instead of the bright lights of the main switch. "There we go," he mumbled to himself after turning the lamp on. He turned back to me, his blue eyes connecting with mine and making me stumble back a few steps in search for the door for support to keep me on my feet. He walked up to me, only stopping when our bodies finally made contact which only made me less stable on my jello-like legs. I was longing for his touch, I had gone too long without it. "You look," he paused as if searching for the right word, "Delicious." The soft whisper of the final word made a shiver run through my body as my sex clinched. I couldn't focus on anything but the warmth that was radiating off of his body as his hands came up to rest on my hips and his lips came down to meet mine. It was almost as though Steve's soft and innocent side had been left behind on his trip this time as the man that stood before me confidently took the lead. The music and voices from the bar on the other side of the door faded away, the only sound being Steve's breathing and moaning as he dominated me with his lips. I grew lightheaded as the desire in me built to a blinding need for him as I pushed my tongue into his mouth. I cursed Nat for choosing this dress as I tried to lift a leg around Steve's hip to pull him closer to me. He must have felt my fumbling attempt as he pulled his lips away from mine. His eyes connected with mine once more and the beautiful blue was now taken over by his blown pupils. He worked in a swift motion as he knelt down in front of me, running his hands down my curved hips to the hem of my dress. He fought with the stretchy material as he pushed it up my thighs and over my hips before stopping the skirt to bunch at my waist. I watched as his eyes widened at the garter belt and thigh high stockings I had worn underneath. His next move caught me off guard as he leaned forward pressing a kiss to my lace covered mound. His eyes were still darkened with arousal but that innocent boy lingered behind what the eye could see as he looked up at me for any sign he was doing something wrong but before I could say anything at all he had hooked a finger through my underwear, pulling them to the side before leaning forward again, letting his tongue find its way through my folds. I could barely control myself as a moan escaped my lips and my hands went straight for his hair. I latched on tightly as I tried to find something to keep me grounded to the moment but I couldn't fight my eyes fluttering shut or my head leaning back against the door as Steve silently lapped at my sex.

I knew from our first encounter that Steve had never dabbled in sexual pleasure but whatever he had studied had paid off greatly as he moved one of my legs to rest on his shoulder to open me up more for his mouth. He was relentless as he probed my center before dragging his tongue back to my clit. He used his lips to pull at the sensitive nub, the pressure causing me to buckle my body forward. I fought my body to lean back against the door again as I pulled at his hair, pushing his face firmly between my thighs, looking for the release I had longed for. What I hadn't been expecting was the invasion of his fingers in my core. The only leg I had on the floor had started to lose strength as the burning in my lower belly grew with intensity and Steve must have sensed my strength faltering as he removed his fingers from my center, ripping the delicate fabric at the crotch of my panties, and moved my other leg to his shoulder. He held me in place, his hands finding a place on the door behind my lower back so that my ass rested on his arms. He never showed a sign of a struggle as he held me in place and continued to devour me. His tongue ran over my clit, circling a few times before he began to suck it and shake his head slightly giving me a new sensation. I was standing dangerously close to my climax, searching for that last little push to send me into ecstasy. "Steve," I struggled to breathe out as my grip in his hair tightened. He hummed against me as if to answer me and that was just the thing I needed as I toppled over into my orgasm. It rushed through me like the waves rush to the shore, crashing violently against every nerve in my body and setting my skin ablaze in the process. I couldn't breathe as the cool white heat of every wave crashed through my body, my lungs screaming for oxygen as my body shook. Steve remained at his task as he continued to lap at my core, cleaning me of my arousal and moaning at the prize he had just coaxed from my body. As I came down from my high my thighs clenched around his head, trying to pull my sex away from him as the oversensitivity took its course after such an earth-shattering climax. Steve's eyes opened as he lapped at me lightly, his eyes searching my face as he pulled away. "Was that alright?" he asked softly as he helped move my legs off of his shoulders. The look in his eyes were that of the young man I had fallen in love with, the timid and shy boy who didn't know women but still held enough determination to stand up for what he believed in. His eyes never strayed from mine as he stood up, his hands never leaving my body as they ghosted over my legs and back up to my hips.

"Oh yeah," I managed to say through unstable breathing. I cradled his jaw with my hands as I pulled him down for a kiss. I could still taste myself on his lips which only intensified the realization of what Steve had just done to me. Steve Rogers had just orally pleasured me in the backroom of my workplace while all of our friends were celebrating my birthday on the other side of the door. I could feel the blush running over my skin as I pulled away, Who would've known the world's most righteous man could have such a naughty side?

"We better get out there before someone notices we're gone," he said as grabbed the material of my skirt that was bunched around my waist.

"Wait," I replied, reaching down and pushing my ripped panties down my legs. "Guess these are useless now."

"Yeah, sorry about that," he blushed.

"Here, just a reminder that you're making me go commando the rest of the night," I winked as I stuffed the ripped lace in the pocket of his uniform pants. I felt his hardened length as I pulled my hand from his pocket and looked down to the bulge in his pants. "Can I help you with that?"

"Later," he said through clenched teeth, "We better get you back out there before someone notices."

"Yes, Sir, Captain," I said with a salute after fixing my skirt.

"Come on, Commando," he chuckled before opening the door.

"Maybe I'll be a 'Howling' Commando later tonight," I softly whispered in his ear before walking out the door.

~.~

We spent much of the night drinking and dancing as the band played on all night. Caroline had surprised me with a cake that was shaped like a treble clef and Tony had surprised me with a limo for Steve and me to ride home in. Riding was definitely on my agenda but home would have to wait. I had a good buzz and any reservations I had normally, were long gone tonight.

I wasted no time after telling the driver to just keep driving around the city. I raised the privacy window and made quick work hiking my skirt up to my waist so I could straddle Steve's lap. I gripped him by the tie of his uniform, pulling him to me for a passionate kiss and grinding myself on his lap. I could feel him starting to harden under me and it only spurred me on more as I moved from his mouth to his ear, sucking on his lobe before running the tip of my tongue over the crest of his ear. "I've always wanted to have sex in a limo," I whispered in his ear before trailing open mouth kisses down his neck. I found his pulse point, sucking at the tender spot for a moment before giving it a nibble, making Steve groan out as he shifted his hips and gripped mine in his large hands. I ground myself against him, the friction causing me to moan as I threw my head back in pleasure. Steve took the opportunity to kiss my neck, moving his hands from my hips to fumble with the small buttons on the front of my dress so he could get access to my breasts. I supported myself as I leaned back by placing my hands on his knees while still giving me the control to rock my hips against him. If he wasn't fully erect he was almost there and I was about to slide up his legs so I could work on opening his pants when his lips sealed around my nipple making me grip at the back of his head instead. His teeth grazed against the hardened peak and I let out a pleasurable hiss as I pulled at the hair on the back of his head. Once he released I attacked his mouth with my own, giving me the time to move my hips from his. I dropped my hand from his hair, quickly unzipping his pants and reaching in for his cock. I navigated my hand through the hole of his pants and boxers, earning a moan as my hand wrapped around his thick dick. I was burning alive as the desire to feel him inside me took over. I pulled him from his confines giving him a few firm strokes before releasing his lips from mine so I could raise up on my knees. I shifted forward, lining him up with my entrance before sliding down his shaft at a torturously slow pace. Inch by inch I let him stretch my walls, making sure to swirl my hips in a circular fashion for an added sensation for us both. "Fuck," I nearly shouted as he filled me completely. Steve's hands were back at my hips, gripping me so tightly I knew I would bruise but I didn't care. I continued to ride him, Steve trying to control my hips with his hands as if to slow me down but I had no desire to slow down the pace. I was heated, fire coursing through my veins as I slid up and down his member, rocking my hips at the same time trying to find the perfect friction to send me spiraling out of control. He had hit a spot inside me that left me seeing stars and I froze in that spot, his thick cock now filling me completely, the head of him touching the spot that set my blood bubbling into lava. I rocked my hips slightly, the material of his uniform brushing against my clit just right, making me jump into the abyss of the most intense orgasm I had ever had. I felt as though I could burst at the seams all while we remained together as one.

"Oh God," the strain of Steve's voice rang in my ears, sobering myself from my orgasm just enough to realize he was struggling to keep from coming inside of me. I climbed off of him, my walls still convulsing as my orgasm continued, sliding down his body until my knees came into contact with the floorboard. I gripped his dick in my hand, his member glistening with our arousal, giving him a few short strokes before sealing the head of him in my mouth. I ran my tongue over the thick vein that was now pulsing underneath, trying to coax him into his own orgasm as mine subsided. With a few bobs of my head and swipes of my tongue, he thrusted his hips upward, the warmth of his come filling my mouth rapidly as I tried to greedily swallow it down. His hands were in my hair as he tried to still my mouth on him, the hot streams of his climax still forcefully filling my mouth until his face relaxed and his hands released my hair. He finally released the breath he had been holding while he came as I pulled my mouth from him, his eyes opening lazily before he lifted his head from the back of the seat to look at me. "I really thought I wasn't going to make it," he breathed out.

"Why did you wait?" I asked as I tried to straighten my dress.

"Well, what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't let a lady go first?" he smirked. I couldn't help from laughing and shaking my head at his witty remark.

"Oh boy," I sighed.

"What?" Steve asked with worry etched on his face.

"Looks like I'm going to have to make a trip to the dry cleaners tomorrow," I answered as I pointed to his crotch. There on his lap were the juices of our labor, what would clearly be a come stain once it dried.

"You are definitely walking in front of me when we get home," Steve said which made me laugh hysterically. "I'd never live this down if one of the guys seen me right now."

"Maybe they'd think you peed your pants," I laughed.

"Because that would be so much better," he said sarcastically.

"I love you," I smiled.

"I love you too," he replied before leaning forward and catching my lips with his own.

After telling the driver to head home I sat down next to Steve and rested my head on his shoulder as we watched the city go by around us.

~.~

"Steve?" I whispered before my eyes fluttered opened. He was carrying me down the hallway of the Stark tower, to his room.

"We're almost to bed," he smiled down at me as he nudged his bedroom door open. He didn't turn on the lights, afraid the brightness would blind me, I'm sure. He walked through the darkened room, only lit by the bustling city below us, laying me on the bed before turning on one of the small bedside lamps. "Let me get you some aspirin. I'm sure you'll be needing it unless you would rather nurse a hangover tomorrow. Totally up to you?" he chuckled as he looked at me with one brow risen.

"Hangovers are no fun," I mumbled as I sat up on the edge of the bed. Steve nodded before leaving the room in search of a cure for the ailing that would come tomorrow. I looked around the room, surely the room shouldn't have been spinning right? Nausea overtook me after I closed my eyes for some kind of relief from the spinning of my head. I ran to the bathroom, falling to my knees before praying to the porcelain Gods.

"Jolene?" Steve's voice called out, worry lacing ever letter of my name. "Alright," Steve said soothingly as he knelt down beside me, "Let it all out." He sat there with me for what felt like hours before the vomiting finally subsided along with the spinning of the room. "Here, try to keep this down," he said, holding out a few saltine crackers and a glass of ginger ale. I tried my hardest to smile at him, my body feeling weak in every muscle. The gesture was that of a gentleman, helping his mate in her time of need, but the items reminded me of so much more.

"Crackers and ginger ale?" I asked him softly as I took the items from his hands.

"This was a must have if you hung out with Dugan," Steve chuckled. "He could drink anyone under the table. Everyone but me of course. It was always a show watching someone try to out-drink him," he said looking off as he remembered old times. "Whoever it was, they were begging for this after a good ole' session with Ralph."

"Ralph?" I mumbled through a mouth full of crackers.

"Ralph...Like ralphing...throwing up?" he replied, looking at me as though I may have been a born on a different planet.

"Gotcha," I nodded, "Grandma must have picked up this remedy from you guys then."

"I'm sure she did," he smiled. " She had to give it to Dugan one time." That had earned a surprised look from me. "Well, Dugan's only weakness was women. And Sharon figured that out when she challenged him to a duel."

"My Grandma...Drinking?" I asked in disbelief.

"Oh yes, she was quite the fish back then," Steve snorted. "Anyways, one night we were all throwing back a few cold ones after one hell of a mission and Sharon walks up, 'So I hear there's a champ sitting at this table that needs to be knocked down a few pegs.' And so, of course, Dugan takes the bait but he hadn't been looking when he answered her. When he did look up we all couldn't help but laugh. You see, my buddy Bucky and Dugan had been fighting over catching the eye of Sharon, so when she approached him he was so dumbfounded he couldn't function. She'd take a shot, and he'd take two without even realizing he had already taken one before. So imagine this," Steve snorted again, "She's figuring out he's lost. She'd take a shot, he'd take a shot, Bucky would move a refilled shot glass in front of him, and Sharon would ask him why he's not taken his shot yet. This went on for what seemed like hours. It got to the point where Sharon was just sitting there with an empty shot glass in front of her and she would just repeatedly ask him why he hadn't drunk his yet." Steve erupted in a full on laugh making me chuckle as I tried to picture the woman who had raised me, drinking in a bar full of men. "He was so drunk he couldn't even stand up. Buck and I had to carry him back to base and once we got there Dugan unloaded his stomach. Sharon came back as we were trying to get him in bed, saving the day with some crackers and ginger ale. She made some joke about giving a redhead ginger ale and Bucky fell in love. He was so lovestruck with her. Couldn't blame him, though, she was a looker."

"I bet Bucky didn't like my Grandpa very much," I smiled, leaning my head back against the wall as I let my stomach settle.

"He complained about it every day," Steve smiled. "I hate to be selfish, but I'm glad Buck never got the chance."

"Why?"

"Because if he had, you wouldn't have existed. And I'd be left lonely for the rest of my life," Steve paused as he cupped my jaw with his hand. "I would've lost the love of my life. Which reminds me, I'll be right back," he said before getting up swiftly and leaving the bathroom. He returned handing me an envelope, "I was told to give you this."

I opened the red envelope wondering who it could be from. I had, had enough surprises today but this one was probably the most surprising. Inside the envelope had been a card, although generic in style the writing inside was most definitely one of a kind.

Jolene,

Happy birthday, Love. I was blessed the day you came into the world. Thank you.

Love,

Peggy

Tears stung my eyes as I read and reread the writing. Although it was short, the heartful meaning behind each word was conveyed as if her voice was speaking it to my ears.

"What is it?" Steve asked, putting his hand under my chin and making me look at him, instead of him trying to read the card I had clutched to my chest.

"Can we visit her soon?" I asked as I sat the card off to the side and Steve leaned in for a kiss. I held up my hand, covering his lips with a finger, "Let me brush my teeth first."

"Okay," Steve smiled before picking up the card and helping me up off of the floor. I wasn't sure which thing he was saying 'okay' to but I knew he wouldn't fight me about going to see her again.

After brushing my teeth I changed into one of Steve's regular t-shirts, walking out of he bathroom and over to the other side of the bed. Steve was already laying there, chest naked and a blanket covering him to his stomach. The image almost made my stomach flip again, only this time from giddiness instead of sickness, wondering if there were any more layers underneath that blanket or if Steve was truly going to bed naked. I pulled the blanket back on my side of the bed, sitting down on the edge before reaching for the pillow to move the extras to the chair in the room. My attempt to move the pillows were halted as my fingers made contact with the little white box.

"What's this?" I asked as I turned around on the bed so I could face him.

"It's for you," he answered before moving on the bed to face me. He reached out, picking up the box and holding it out to me.

"Steve, you really didn't have to get me anything. Just you being here is enough," I said to him without taking the box. "I mean you did give me a field of flowers in my house after all," I smiled, remembering the dream that it had stirred for me while I was sleeping.

"I just really wanted you to have this," he said as he set the box down in front of me. The look on his face was pleading me to open it, like if I didn't take it I was dismissing him and my love for him.

I picked up the box, watching Steve's face as his eyes watched my hands before looking up at me to watch my face. I paused for a moment, looking at the tiny box before pulling off the top. I was silent as I pulled out the delicate chain, glancing up at him to catch his eyes watering. Whatever was on this chain meant a lot to him and I questioned if I should've even been touching it. The chain was no longer lax, notifying me that something was hanging from its bottom. As it appeared from the box I took time inspecting the tiny tarnished ring that had been transitioned into a charm and the small gold heart charm hanging in the middle of the circle.

"It was my Mom's," Steve's voice said catching my attention and causing me to look up at him. The tears began to build in my eyes immediately, keeping me from being able to focus on his beautiful face as he continued talking. "We couldn't afford much when I was growing up but Dad did his best to get her a ring after they had been married for so long. It wasn't the ring that meant the world to my Mom, but the thoughtfulness of my Dad. I knew you could appreciate that."

"I love it, Steve," I stuttered out before leaning forward and catching his lips with my own. Steve understood me like no one else ever had. He knew it wasn't about the materialistic things for me, but the meaning behind the items.

After Steve secured the necklace around my neck we fell asleep holding one another. Exactly what I had wished for when I woke this morning, had come to fruition and I couldn't have been any happier. The flowers, the dress, the pampering, the shopping, and the party could never hold a candle to the best gift I had received today, Steve coming home to me.


End file.
